Dedicated wireless digital video disc ( DVD) controller for video game consoles

• US 20050130743A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arista Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Arista Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Leifer, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,169,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• 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 2300/202 the game platform being a DVD player

Abstract

There is provided a wireless system for a video game console having at least one of an Infrared (IR) receiver and a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver, and further having at least two operation modes including (i) a first game mode capable of playing video games and (ii) a second entertainment mode capable of playing DVD videos. The wireless system includes a dedicated DVD remote control transmitter and a wireless game controller. The dedicated DVD remote control transmitter has DVD player function control buttons and is incapable of controlling all of the game functions of the video game console. The dedicated remote control transmitter wirelessly transmits DVD player control commands to at least one of the IR receiver and the RF receiver for controlling the DVD player functions of the video game console when in the second entertainment mode. The wireless game controller wirelessly transmits game control commands to at least one of the IR receiver and the RF receiver to control a game being played when the video game console is in the first game mode.

Claims

1. A wireless system for a video game console having at least one of an Infrared (IR) receiver and a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver, and further having at least two operation modes including (i) a first game mode capable of playing video games and (ii) a second entertainment mode capable of playing DVD videos, the wireless system comprising:

a dedicated DVD remote control transmitter having DVD player function control buttons and being incapable of controlling all game functions of the video game console when in said first game mode, said dedicated DVD remote control transmitter wirelessly transmitting DVD player control commands to at least one of the IR receiver and the RF receiver for controlling the DVD player functions of the video game console when in said second entertainment mode.

2. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said dedicated DVD remote control transmitter wirelessly transmits the DVD player control commands to the IR receiver.

3. The wireless system according to claim 1, wherein said dedicated DVD remote control transmitter wirelessly transmits the DVD player control commands to the RF receiver

4. A wireless system for a video game console having at least one of an Infrared (IR) receiver and a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver and further having at least two operation modes including (i) a first game mode capable of playing video games and (ii) a second entertainment mode capable of playing DVD videos, the wireless system comprising:

a universal remote controller for wirelessly controlling a plurality of different controllable devices including wirelessly transmitting DVD player control commands to at least one of the IR receiver and the RF receiver of the video game console when in said second entertainment mode, said universal remote controller being incapable of controlling all the game functions of the video game console and further having a code set corresponding to the second entertainment mode of the video game console.

5. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein said universal remote control further comprises:

a memory for storing at least one code set corresponding to at least one brand of controllable devices including the code set for controlling the second entertainment mode of the video game console; and

a plurality of buttons for providing access to any one of the at least one code set and enabling an operation mode for controlling a selected controllable device, said plurality of buttons including DVD player function control buttons for controlling the DVD player functions of the video game console when operating in the second entertainment mode.

6. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein said universal remote controller wirelessly transmits the DVD player control commands to the game console IR receiver.

7. The wireless system according to claim 4, wherein said universal remote controller wirelessly transmits the DVD player control commands to the game console RF receiver.

8. A wireless system for a video game console having at least one communication port including game controller ports and at least two operation modes including (i) a first game mode capable of playing video games and (ii) a second entertainment mode capable of playing DVD videos, the wireless system comprising:

a wireless receiver having one end configured for insertion into one of said at least one of said communication ports of the video game console; and

a dedicated DVD remote control transmitter having DVD player function control buttons and being incapable of controlling all game functions of the video game console, said dedicated DVD remote control transmitter wirelessly transmitting DVD player control commands to said wireless receiver for controlling DVD player functions of the video game console when in said second entertainment mode.

9. The wireless system according to claim 8, further comprising wireless communication protocol for communicating the DVD player control commands from said dedicated DVD remote control transmitter to said receiver, said wireless receiver converting received DVD player control commands into electrical signals for input into the one of said at least one communication port of the video game console.

10. The wireless system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one of said communication ports comprises one selected from a group consisting of a game controller port, a memory slot, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a FireWire™

port and a PCMCIA slot.

11. The wireless system according to claim 8, wherein said wireless receiver further comprises an additional communication port corresponding to the at least one communication port in which the wireless receiver is inserted, said additional communication port providing the user with access to the at least one communication port being utilized by the wireless receiver.

12. The wireless system according to claim 9, wherein said wireless communication protocol comprises infrared (IR).

13. The wireless system according to claim 9, wherein said wireless communication protocol comprises radio frequency (RF).

14. The wireless system according to claim 8, wherein said wireless receiver obtains power from the game console via said at least one communication port.