POSITION SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVE GAMING DEVICE AND METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20080311990A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cheng UEI Precision Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Cheng UEI Precision Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Hsu, Wen-Cheng, Chiu, Shuo-Tsung
• Application Number:
  US11/762,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20080311990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• 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 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform

Abstract

A position system for interactive gaming device has a main apparatus and a wireless controller. The main apparatus has a first ultrasonic receiving module, a second ultrasonic receiving module and a third ultrasonic receiving module. The three ultrasonic receiving modules are arranged as a triangle shape. The wireless controller has an ultrasonic transmitting module. The ultrasonic transmitting module of the wireless controller sends an ultrasonic wave which is received by the ultrasonic receiving modules in order to obtain three ultrasonic wave transmission times. The main apparatus calculates the received transmission time and therefore recognizes the position of the wireless controller. When the wireless controller is moved, the main apparatus obtains a plurality of coordinate values indicating the motion track of the wireless controller. In this case, an electronic device shows the movement of the wireless controller on a display device by monitoring the coordinate values.

Claims

1. A position system for interactive gaming device, comprising:

a wireless controller, including an ultrasonic transmitting module; and

a main apparatus, including a first microcomputer, a first ultrasonic receiving module, a second ultrasonic receiving module and a third ultrasonic receiving module, the first ultrasonic receiving module having a distance from the second ultrasonic receiving module, the third ultrasonic receiving module having a distance form the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module, the three ultrasonic receiving modules forming a triangle shape, the three ultrasonic receiving modules receiving ultrasonic signals sent by the ultrasonic transmitting module of the wireless controller, the first microcomputer calculating the received transmission times of the ultrasonic signals and obtaining a plurality of coordinate values indicating the motion track of the wireless controller, and further recognizing the positions of the wireless controller.

2. The position system for interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electronic device connected to the main apparatus and a display device connected to the electronic device, the electronic device receiving the coordinate values of the wireless controller from the main apparatus, and showing the movement of the wireless controller on the display device by monitoring the coordinate values.

3. The position system for interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module are on the same surface level, the third ultrasonic receiving module is defined at the middle of the first and second ultrasonic receiving modules and has a distance from the surface level defined by the first and second ultrasonic receiving modules.

4. The position system for interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main apparatus further includes a first USB module, a first communication module, a first antenna and a first memory unit, the first USB module is used for transmitting or receiving data between the main apparatus and the electronic device, the first communication module connected to the first antenna is used for transmitting or receiving control signals between the main apparatus and the wireless controller, the first memory unit stores the data capable of driving the main apparatus startup, wherein the wireless controller includes a second microcomputer, an operation module, a second memory unit, a second communication module, and a second antenna, the second microcomputer connects to the operation module and produces corresponding instructions accompanying the press state of the operation module, the second memory unit stores the data for driving the wireless controller startup, the second communication module connecting the second antenna is used for transmitting and receiving control signals between the main apparatus and the wireless controller.

5. The position system for interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the wireless controller further includes a voice output module and a vibrator, a control signal received by the wireless controller from the main apparatus brings the voice output module and the vibrator output voice and vibration respectively.

6. A method for positioning the wireless controller of the interactive gaming device, comprising the steps of:

sending out a prepared position signal through a second antenna connected to a second communication module of the wireless controller;

sending out an initiate position signal via a first antenna connected to a first communication module of the main apparatus after the main apparatus receiving the prepared position signal through the first antenna;

initiating the ultrasonic transmitting module to send out an ultrasonic signal after the second communication module receiving the initiate position signal through the second antenna;

receiving the ultrasonic signal by the first ultrasonic receiving module, the second ultrasonic receiving module and the third ultrasonic receiving module;

calculating the received transmission time of the ultrasonic signal and obtaining a coordinate value by a first microcomputer;

sending out an accomplished position signal by the first communication module through the first antenna; and

receiving the accomplished position signal by the second communication module through the second antenna for finishing the position of the wireless controller.

7. The method for positioning the wireless controller of the interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the main apparatus sends out the initiate position signal and at the same time starts a procedure for timing, if the time exceeds a predetermined value and simultaneously the main apparatus doesn'"'"'t receive the ultrasonic signal sent by the wireless controller, the main apparatus sends out the initiate position signal again.

8. The method for positioning the wireless controller of the interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a second microcomputer of the wireless controller detects the press state of the buttons and sends out a prepared position instruction to the second communication module which receives and modulates the prepared position instruction into the prepared position signal, the prepared position signal is sent out by the second antenna, wherein the main apparatus receives the prepared position signal sent by the wireless controller, the first communication module demodulates the prepared position signal into the prepared position instruction, and transmits the instruction to the first microcomputer, the first microcomputer tests the instruction, and if the instruction is right, the first microcomputer sends an initiate position instruction to the first communication module, the first communication module modulates the initiate position instruction into the initiate position signal, and sends out the initiate position signal through the first antenna, wherein the wireless controller receives the initiate position signal which is demodulated into the initiate position instruction by the second communication module, the instruction is transmitted to the second microcomputer, the second microcomputer tests the instruction, and if the instruction is right, the second microcomputer initiates the ultrasonic transmitting module to send the ultrasonic signal, wherein the three ultrasonic receiving modules receive the ultrasonic signal sent by the wireless controller, the first microcomputer calculates the beeline distance between the wireless controller and the main apparatus basing on the received transmission time of the three ultrasonic receiving modules and transmission characteristic of the ultrasonic, and obtains a coordinate value of the wireless controller.

9. The method for positioning the wireless controller of the interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the ultrasonic transmitting module sends one ultrasonic signal, correspondingly, the main apparatus attains one coordinate value of the wireless controller.

10. The method for positioning the wireless controller of the interactive gaming device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the main apparatus receives a set of ultrasonic signals which is defined in advance from the wireless controller, the main apparatus attains one coordinate value of the wireless controller.