Binding of wireless game controller to host

• US 20050221895A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Wei, Lum, Richard, Gordon, Gary L.
• Application Number:
  US10/817,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20050221895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• 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 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A game controller and game host are bound to one another by exchanging unique identification numbers that are stored in respective memories of the game controller and host. The binding allows the game controller and game console to exclusively communicate wirelessly with one another.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a host; and

a game controller to bind with the host by an exchange of a unique host identifier (ID) identifying the host and a unique controller ID identifying the game controller.

2. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the host stores the host ID in permanent memory and stores the controller ID in writeable memory; and

the game controller stores the controller ID in permanent memory and stores the console ID in writeable memory.

3. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host and game controller comprise player activated buttons used to initiate the exchange of IDs.

4. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host and game controller comprise wireless interfaces to establish a wireless link in the exchange of IDs.

5. The gaming system as recited in claim 4, wherein the wireless interfaces is comprised of one of IR and RF wireless technologies.

6. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host and game controller comprise one of the following devices to receive the IDs, a bar code reader, a magnetic card reader, and a RF card reader.

7. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host comprises:

a processor;

an interface to receive the controller ID; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store the host ID and the controller ID.

8. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the game controller comprises:

a processor;

an interface to receive the host ID; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store the host ID and the controller ID.

9. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host comprises one of a game console or a personal computer.

10. The gaming system as recited in claim 1, wherein the game controller sends an authentication code to the host and the host determines whether to bind based on on the authentication code.

11. A game controller that binds to a host by providing the host a controller ID and receiving from the host a host ID.

12. A game controller as recited in claim 11, embodied as a general-purpose controller with one or more multi-function actuators.

13. A host in a gaming system that binds to one or more game controllers by providing the game controllers a host ID and receiving from the game controllers controller IDs.

14. The host as recited in claim 13, wherein the host further receives authentication codes from the game controllers to determine whether to bind to one or more of the game controllers.

15. A method of binding a host and a game controller comprising:

inititiating a binding mode at the host and controller;

sending a host ID from the host to the game controller, wherein the game controller stores the host ID; and

receiving at the host a controller ID from the game controller, wherein the host stores the controller ID.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the initiating comprises clearing memory in the host to store the controller ID and clearing memory in the game controller to store the host ID.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the sending is performed through a wireless link between the host and game controller.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the sending is performed through one of a bar code reader, a magnetic card reader, and a RF card reader.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the receiving further comprises an authentication code from the game controller.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the receiving is performed through a wireless link between the host and game controller.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the receiving further comprises an authentication code from the game controller.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the receiving is performed through one of a bar code reader, a magnetic card reader, and a RF card reader.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the receiving further comprises an authentication code from the game controller.

24. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 15.

25. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 19.

26. A method of binding a host and a game controller using an RF wireless connection comprising:

instructing that the host and game controller be placed in close proximity to one another;

reducing the transmission power and reception sensitivity of the host and game controller;

detecting signal strength at the host;

establishing a wireless communication link between the host and game controller; and

exchanging IDs through the wireless communication link between the host and game controller.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the RF wireless connection is a radio band comprising multiple channels.

28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the exchanging is performed using a subset of the channels of the radio band.

29. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the detecting is performed using received signal strength indication (RSSI).

30. The method as recited in claim 26, further comprising providing an authentication code from the game controller to the host.

31. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 26.

32. For use with a gaming system, a storage medium having instructions that, when executed on the gaming system, performs acts comprising:

providing memory locations in a host to store controller ID values, and memory locations in one or more controllers to store a host ID value;

exchanging the host ID value and the controller ID values between the host and game controllers, wherein the exchanged host ID value is placed in the memory locations of the game controllers and the exchanged controller ID values are placed in the memory locations of the host; and

verifying the exchanged host ID value and the controller ID values.

33. A storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the providing comprises initiating a binding mode at the host and game controllers.

34. A storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the exchanging is performed through a wireless communication link between the host and game controllers.

35. A storage medium as recited in claim 32, further comprising receiving authentication codes from the one or more controllers.