Apparatus and method for managing peripheral device communications

• US 10,065,110 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael, Hawver, Bruce, Rom, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/297,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20170036104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 463 43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first peripheral device having a controller to store operational settings tailored for a gaming application, interact with the gaming application using the operational settings and user inputs, and share the operational settings with a second peripheral device for use with the gaming application. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer device comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving first operational inputs from a first peripheral device for a first set of actions for a video game actor;

receiving second operational inputs from a second peripheral device for a second set of actions for the video game actor;

determining a common set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a first subset of the first set of actions and a second subset of the second set of actions corresponds to the common set of actions;

identifying a priority setting for the common set of actions;

selecting one of the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting resulting in a selected set of actions and a conflicting set of actions;

exerting control over the video game actor responsive to the selected set of actions;

ignoring the conflicting set of actions;

adjusting a graphical representation of the video game actor according to the selected set of actions resulting an adjusted graphical representation of the video game actor; and

presenting the adjusted graphical representation of the video game actor on a display.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a graphical user interface for receiving a first group of user selections and a second group of user selections, wherein the first operational inputs are associated with the first set of actions according to the first group of user selections, and wherein the second operational inputs are associated with the second set of actions according to the second group of user selections.

3. The computer device of the claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a user-generated input, wherein the priority setting is indicated according to the user-generated input.

4. The computer device of the claim 3, wherein the priority setting indicates a higher priority for one of the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device.

5. The computer device of the claim 1, wherein the selecting one of the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting further comprises resolving a conflict between the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting.

6. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device each comprise one of a mouse, a joystick, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller.

7. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface.

8. The computer device of claim 7, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

obtaining first operational inputs from a first peripheral device for a first set of actions for a video game actor;

obtaining second operational inputs from a second peripheral device for a second set of actions for the video game actor;

determining a common set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a first subset of the first set of actions and a second subset of the second set of actions corresponds to the common set of actions;

resolving a conflict between the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to a priority setting, resulting in a controlling set of actions and a conflicting set of actions;

controlling the video game actor according to the controlling set of actions; and

ignoring the conflicting set of actions.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the resolving the conflict further comprises selecting one of the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a graphical user interface for receiving a first group of user selections and a second group of user selections, wherein the first operational inputs are associated with the first set of actions according to the first group of user selections, and wherein the second operational inputs are associated with the second set of actions according to the second group of user selections.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a user-generated input, wherein the priority setting is indicated according to the user-generated input.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the priority setting indicates a higher priority for one of the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device each comprise one of a mouse, a joystick, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, first operational inputs from a first peripheral device for a first set of actions for a video game actor;

receiving, by the processing system, second operational inputs from a second peripheral device for a second set of actions for the video game actor;

identifying, by the processing system, a common set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a first subset of the first set of actions and a second subset of the second set of actions corresponds to a same group of actions, and wherein the common set of actions is the same group of actions;

selecting, by the processing system, one of the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to a priority setting responsive to receiving user-generated input indicating the priority setting for the common set of actions resulting in a selected set of actions and a conflicting set of action;

controlling the video game actor according to the selected set of actions; and

ignoring the conflicting set of actions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting, by the processing system, a graphical user interface for receiving a first group of user selections and a second group of user selections, wherein the first operational inputs are associated with the first set of actions according to the first group of user selections, and wherein the second operational inputs are associated with the second set of actions according to the second group of user selections.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the priority setting indicates a higher priority for one of the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising wherein the selecting one of the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting further comprises resolving, by the processing system, a conflict between the first subset of the first set of actions and the second subset of the second set of actions according to the priority setting.