INPUT CONTROL APPARATUS AND AN INTERACTIVE SYSTEM USING THE SAME

• US 20090042649A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Liou, Shun-Nan, Hsieh, Chin-Lin, Tsai, Ming-Jye, Lian, Jr-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,072 B2
• 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 13/23 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 13/428 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 2300/1018 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

Abstract

An input control apparatus and an interactive system using the same are disclosed. The input control apparatus comprises: a switch unit, for selecting an input mode for the input control apparatus selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode and the combination thereof; an interface unit, for generating an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit; a remote control unit, for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode and the input signal. By transmitting the control signals of two aforesaid input control apparatuses to an electronic device, such as a computer, an interactive gamming device or an interactive multimedia device, two such input control apparatuses can be integrated as a handheld apparatus with a left-hand unit and a right-hand unit for meeting the control requirements of a comparatively more complicated game executing on the electronic device. However, for those less complicated game, the two input control apparatuses can be configured as independent devices to be operated by different users. Thereby, users are able to interact with the electronic device.

Claims

1. An inertial sensing input control apparatus, comprising:

a switch unit, for selecting one input mode out of at least an input mode for the input control apparatus;

an interface unit, for generating at least an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit;

an inertial sensing module, being configured with at least an inertial sensor, capable of generating at least an inertial sensing parameter; and

a remote control unit, coupled to the switch unit, the interface unit and the inertial sensing module for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode, the at least one input signal and the at least one inertial sensing parameter.

2. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input mode of the input control apparatus is a mode selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode and the combination thereof.

3. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface unit is coupled to at least an input unit;

and the input unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a cross key, an assembly of a plurality of press buttons, and the combination thereof.

4. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving end, including;

a receiving unit, for receiving the control signal generated from the remote control unit;

an operation unit, coupled to the receiving unit for analyzing the control signal into an operation signal; and

an interface connecting unit, for transmitting the operation signal to an electronic device;

wherein, the electronic device is a device selected from the group consisting of a computer, an interactive gamming device and an interactive multimedia device.

5. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the interface unit is electrically connected to the electronic device by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired means and a wireless means;

and the wired means is enabled by an interface selected form the group consisting of a PS/2 interface and an USB interface; and

the wireless means is enabled by a way selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and radio frequency (RF) communication.

6. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein each inertial sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of at last a gyroscope, at least an accelerometer, and the combination thereof.

7. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inertial sensing module is used for sensing at least a control motion and thus correspondingly generating the at least one inertial sensing parameter according to the input mode selected by the switch unit.

8. An interactive system, comprising:

at least an input control apparatus, further comprising;

a switch unit, for selecting one input mode out of at least an input mode for the input control apparatus;

an interface unit, for generating at least an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit; and

a remote control unit, coupled to the switch unit and the interface unit for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode and the at least one input signal;

a receiving end, for receiving the control signal, further comprising;

a receiving unit, for receiving the control signal generated from the remote control unit;

an operation unit, coupled to the receiving unit for analyzing the control signal into an operation signal; and

an interface connecting unit, for transmitting the operation signal to an electronic device;

wherein, the electronic device is a device selected from the group consisting of a computer, an interactive gamming device and an interactive multimedia device.

9. The interactive system of claim 8, wherein the input mode of the input control apparatus is a mode selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode and the combination thereof.

10. The interactive system of claim 8, wherein the interface unit is coupled to at least an input unit;

and the input unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a cross key, an assembly of a plurality of press buttons, and the combination thereof.

11. The interactive system of claim 8, further comprising:

an inertial sensing module, being configured with at least an inertial sensor for sensing at least a control motion and thus correspondingly generating at least an inertial sensing parameter according to the input mode selected by the switch unit;

wherein, the at least one inertial sensing parameter is integrated by the remote control unit into the control signal generated therefrom.

12. The interactive system of claim 8, wherein each inertial sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of at last a gyroscope, at least an accelerometer, and the combination thereof.

13. The interactive system of claim 8, wherein the interface unit is electrically connected to the electronic device by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired means and a wireless means;

and the wired means is enabled by an interface selected form the group consisting of a PS/2 interface and an USB interface; and

the wireless means is enabled by a way selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and radio frequency (RF) communication.

14. The interactive system of claim 8, wherein when there are more than one input control apparatus configured in the interactive system, the plural input control apparatuses are electrically connected with each other.

15. An inertial sensing interactive system, comprising:

at least an input control apparatus, further comprising;

a switch unit, for selecting one input mode out of at least an input mode for the input control apparatus;

an interface unit, for generating at least an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit;

an inertial sensing module, being configured with at least an inertial sensor, capable of generating at least an inertial sensing parameter; and

a remote control unit, coupled to the switch unit, the interface unit and the inertial sensing module for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode, the at least one input signal and the at least one inertial sensing parameter;

a receiving end, further comprising;

a receiving unit, for receiving the control signal generated from the remote control unit;

an operation unit, coupled to the receiving unit for analyzing the control signal into an operation signal; and

an interface connecting unit, for transmitting the operation signal to an electronic device;

wherein, the electronic device is a device selected from the group consisting of a computer, an interactive gamming device and an interactive multimedia device.

16. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein the input mode of the input control apparatus is a mode selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode and the combination thereof.

17. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein the interface unit is coupled to at least an input unit;

and the input unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a cross key, an assembly of a plurality of press buttons, and the combination thereof.

18. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein the interface unit is electrically connected to the electronic device by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired means and a wireless means;

and the wired means is enabled by an interface selected form the group consisting of a PS/2 interface and an USB interface; and

the wireless means is enabled by a way selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and radio frequency (RF) communication.

19. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein when there are more than one input control apparatus configured in the interactive system, the plural input control apparatuses are electrically connected with each other.

20. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein each inertial sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of at last a gyroscope, at least an accelerometer, and the combination thereof.

21. The inertial sensing interactive system of claim 15, wherein the inertial sensing module is used for sensing at least a control motion and thus correspondingly generating the at least one inertial sensing parameter according to the input mode selected by the switch unit.