Programmable movement of an orientation of a game character view of a game environment

• US 20090048018A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fuelling, Sarah J., Sayyadi, Babak, Ellis, Devon L., Sangster, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,142,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input

Abstract

A control system comprises a control device comprising a programmable macro button, a memory containing view change settings, a driver program and a microprocessor. The driver program includes a view change output that is produced in response to actuation of the macro button and is based on the view change settings. The microprocessor is configured to move the orientation of the character view of the game environment from a beginning orientation to an ending orientation in response to the view change output. Also disclosed is a method of using a control system to move an orientation of a character view of a game environment in a video game.

Claims

1. A control system for use in combination with a video game presented on a display, the video game including a character having a character view of a game environment, the character view having an orientation, the system comprising:

a control device comprising a programmable macro button;

a memory containing view change settings;

a driver program having a view change output that is produced in response to actuation of the macro button and is based on the view change settings; and

a microprocessor configured to move the orientation of the character view of the game environment from a beginning orientation to an ending orientation in response to the view change output.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the view change settings are based on a change in the orientation of the character view during play of the video game.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver program further comprises instructions stored in a tangible medium and executable by the microprocessor to perform steps of:

producing the view change settings based on a change in the orientation of the character view during play of the video game; and

storing the view change settings in the memory.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the driver program further comprises a view return output that is produced after a predetermined period of time in response to the actuation of the macro button; and

the microprocessor is further configured to move the orientation of the character view from the ending orientation to the beginning orientation in response to the view return output.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the driver program further comprises a view return output that is produced in response to a subsequent actuation of the macro button; and

the microprocessor is further configured to move the orientation of the character view from the ending orientation to the beginning orientation in response to the view return output.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

actuation of the macro button comprises pressing and holding the macro button;

the driver program further comprises a view return output that is produced in response to a release of the actuation of the macro button; and

the microprocessor is further configured to move the orientation of the character view from the ending orientation to the beginning orientation in response to the view return output.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a computer mouse.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the macro button comprises a tilt wheel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control device is selected from the group consisting of a keyboard and a game controller.

10. A method of using a control system to move an orientation of a character view of a game environment in a video game, the method comprising:

calibrating a view orientation move comprising storing view change settings in memory;

producing a view change output in response to actuation of a macro button of a control device; and

moving the orientation of the character view of the game environment from a beginning orientation to an ending orientation based on the view change settings in response to the view change output.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein calibrating a view orientation move further comprises:

starting a calibration routine;

moving the orientation of the character view during play of the video game;

ending the calibration routine;

producing the view change settings based on the movement of the orientation of the character view during the calibration routine; and

storing the view change settings in the memory.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein starting the calibration routine comprises pressing and holding the macro button and, after a predetermined period of time, releasing the macro button.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein ending the calibration routine comprises actuating the macro button.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein moving the orientation of the character view comprises moving the orientation of the character view using a component of the control device other than the macro button.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the control device comprises a computer mouse; and

moving the orientation of the character view comprises moving the mouse across a surface.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

moving the orientation of the character view comprises moving the orientation of the character view from a first orientation to a second orientation; and

the view change settings are based on a difference between the first orientation and the second orientation.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the orientation of the character view of the game environment from the ending orientation to the beginning orientation after a predetermined period of time.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising moving the orientation of the character view of the game environment from the ending orientation to the beginning orientation in response to a subsequent actuation of the macro button.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the orientation of the character view is based on a game character'"'"'s head orientation; and

the view change settings correspond to a change in the head orientation; and

moving the orientation of the character view of the game environment comprises moving the head orientation of the character from the beginning orientation to the ending orientation.

20. A control system for use in combination with a video game including a character view of a game environment having an orientation, the system comprising:

a control device comprising a macro button;

a memory;

a microprocessor; and

a driver program comprising instructions stored in a tangible medium and executable by the microprocessor to perform steps of;

storing view change settings in the memory that are based on a change in the orientation of the character view during play of the video game; and

moving the orientation of the character view of the game environment from a beginning orientation to an ending orientation based on the view change settings in response to actuation of the macro button.