Apparatus and method for managing peripheral device communications

• US 10,493,359 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• 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 Trent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US16/051,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20180339224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 463 38, 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, the operations comprising;

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

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

determining a conflicting 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 conflicting set of actions;

determining a non-conflicting set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a third subset of the first set of actions and a fourth subset of the second set of actions corresponds to the non-conflicting set of actions;

exerting control over the video game actor responsive to the first subset of the first set of actions, the third subset of the first set of actions, and the fourth subset of the second set of actions;

ignoring the second subset of the second set of actions;

adjusting a graphical representation associated with the video game actor according to the exerting control over the video game actor resulting in adjusted graphical representation of the video game actor; and

presenting the adjusted graphical representation associated with 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 claim 1, wherein the primary peripheral device and the secondary peripheral device each comprise one of a mouse, a joystick, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller.

4. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the primary peripheral device comprises one of a mouse, a joystick, a keyboard, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller and wherein the secondary peripheral device comprises a different one of the mouse, the joystick, the keyboard, the gaming pad, and the gaming console controller.

5. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the primary peripheral device and the secondary peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

6. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a graphical user interface for receiving user selections for combining selected operational inputs from the primary peripheral device and the secondary peripheral device to define a combined action in a video game application.

7. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting an operational setting to the primary peripheral device to enable the primary peripheral device to transmit the operational setting to the secondary peripheral device.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system having a processor, first operational inputs from a first peripheral device communicatively coupled to the processing system 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;

determining, by the processing system, a conflicting 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 conflicting set of actions;

determining, by the processing system, a non-conflicting set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a third subset of the first set of actions and a fourth subset of the second set of actions corresponds to the non-conflicting set of actions;

controlling, by the processing system, the video game actor responsive to the first subset of the first set of actions, the third subset of the first set of actions, and the fourth subset of the second set of actions;

preventing, by the processing system, application of the second subset of the second set of actions; and

updating, by the processing system, a graphical representation associated with the video game actor according to the controlling the video game actor resulting an adjusted graphical representation associated with the video game actor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise 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.

10. The method of claim 8, 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.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first peripheral device comprises one of a mouse, a joystick, a keyboard, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller and wherein the second peripheral device comprises a different one of the mouse, the joystick, the keyboard, the gaming pad, and the gaming console controller.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise presenting, by the processing system, a graphical user interface for receiving user selections for combining selected operational inputs from the primary peripheral device and the second peripheral device to define a combined action in a video game application.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, by the processing system, an operational setting to the first peripheral device to enable the first peripheral device to transmit the operational setting to the second peripheral device.

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

receiving first operational inputs from a primary peripheral device communicatively coupled to the processing system for a first set of actions for a video game actor;

receiving second operational inputs from a secondary peripheral device communicatively coupled to the processing system for a second set of actions for the video game actor;

determining a conflicting 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 conflicting set of actions;

determining a non-conflicting set of actions among the first set of actions and the second set of actions, wherein a third subset of the first set of actions and a fourth subset of the second set of actions corresponds to the non-conflicting set of actions; and

adjusting a graphical representation of the video game actor on a display communicatively coupled to the processing system, responsive to the first subset of the first set of actions, the third subset of the first set of actions, and the fourth subset of the second set of actions, wherein the adjusting ignores the second subset of the second set of actions.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising 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.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the primary peripheral device comprises one of a mouse, a joystick, a keyboard, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller and wherein the secondary peripheral device comprises a different one of the mouse, the joystick, the keyboard, the gaming pad, and the gaming console controller.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the primary peripheral device and the secondary peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising presenting a graphical user interface for receiving user selections for combining selected operational inputs from the primary peripheral device and the secondary peripheral device to define a combined action in a video game application.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising transmitting an operational setting to the primary peripheral device to enable the primary peripheral device to transmit the operational setting to the secondary peripheral device.