VIDEO GAME AND PERIPHERAL FOR SAME

• US 20100216551A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsui, Joshua, Knowles, Matt, Ehrlich, Nick, Krager, Scott, Sauerbrei, Peter J., Dwyer, Patrick, Tibbetts, David M., Sen, Arnab
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/807 Gliding or sliding on surfaces, e.g. using skis, skates or boards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• 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 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8041 Skating using skis, skates or board

Abstract

A video game controller with a position sensor and a proximity sensor provides user input signals for use in determining game states. The video game controller can have a board or deck like surface similar to that of a skateboard, and the proximity sensor can be used to determine if a grab of the board has been attempted. A video game associated with the video game controller can provide a skateboard or other game in which a skateboard and skateboarding character are responsive to a game player'"'"'s manipulation of the video game controller.

Claims

1. A peripheral for a video game, comprising:

a housing including at least one surface providing a deck;

at least one position related sensing device fixedly coupled to the housing to provide housing position related information;

at least one proximity sensor to provide object detection information of objects proximate to the housing; and

a transmitter to transmit information of the position related sensing device and information of the at least one proximity sensor.

2. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein the at least one proximity sensor is a sonic detector.

3. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein the deck is substantially in the shape of a deck of a skateboard.

4. The peripheral of claim 2 wherein the at least one proximity sensor comprises at least one proximity sensor about a forward area of the deck and at least one proximity sensor about a rear area of the deck.

5. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one position related sensing device comprises an accelerometer.

6. The peripheral of claim 4 wherein the accelerometer is within the housing.

7. The peripheral of claim 6 further comprising a processor housed within the housing, the processor coupled to the accelerometer and the at least one proximity sensor so as to receive information from the accelerometer and the at least one proximity sensor, the processor additionally coupled to the transmitter, the processor configured to provide the transmitter the information of the accelerometer and the at least one proximity sensor.

8. The peripheral of claim 7 wherein the at least one proximity sensor further comprises a proximity sensor about a left side of the deck and a proximity sensor about a right side of the deck.

9. The peripheral of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to trigger the proximity sensor about the forward area of the deck and the proximity sensor about the rear area of the deck at different times than triggering of the proximity sensor about the left side of the deck and the proximity sensor about the right side of the deck.

10. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein the at least one position sensing device comprises two accelerometers.

11. The peripheral of claim 10 wherein each of the two accelerometers comprise three-axis accelerometers.

12. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein the housing including at least one surface providing the deck includes a lower surface of generally somewhat arcuate cross-section, the lower surface coupling opposing longitudinal edges of the at least one surface providing the deck, the lower surface including a longitudinal flat central portion, the longitudinal flat central portion forming a surface parallel to the at least one surface providing the deck.

13. The peripheral of claim 12 wherein the longitudinal flat central portion has a width of approximately 3 inches.

14. The peripheral of claim 12 wherein the lower surface includes surfaces providing in cross-section opposing inwardly angled edges, the opposing inwardly angled edges each including two portions, each of the two portions defining a line at differing angles with respect to a line defined by the flat central portion.

15. The peripheral of claim 1 wherein the housing including at least one surface providing the deck includes sidewalls extending down from the at least one surface, with buttons present on at least one of the sidewalls, the buttons for providing input information for transmission by the transmitter.

16. A video game system comprising:

a video game controller in the form of a housing with an elongate upper surface having a substantially flat portion for standing thereupon, the housing housing a position related sensing device, an object proximity sensing device, a signal transmitter, and circuitry coupling the position related sensing device and the object proximity sensing device with the signal transmitter;

a video game console including a processor configured by program instructions to determine a steering direction of a video game object based on signals including information of the position related sensing device received from the video game controller, to modify a game state based on signals including information of the object proximity sensing device received from the video game controller, and to generate video game display information based on the steering direction and the game state.

17. The video game system of claim 16 wherein the game state includes information of the steering information.

18. The video game system of claim 16 wherein the video game object is a skateboard.

19. The video game system of claim 16 wherein the position related sensing device comprises at least one accelerometer.

20. The video game system of claim 16 further comprising an additional object proximity sensing device coupled by the circuitry to the signal transmitter, and wherein the object proximity sensing device is located proximate a front of the housing and the additional object proximity sensing device is locate proximate a rear of the housing.

21. The video game system of claim 20 wherein the object proximity sensing device and the additional object proximity sensing device each comprise an ultrasonic sensor.

22. The video game system of claim 16 wherein the circuitry includes a processor.

23. The video game system of claim 22 further comprising two further object proximity sensing devices, with a left object proximity sensing device of the two further object proximity sensing devices located proximate a left side of the housing and a right object proximity sensing device of the two further object proximity sensing devices located proximate a right side of the housing, and wherein the processor included in the circuitry is configured to trigger the left proximity sensing device and the right proximity sensing device at different times than the object proximity sensing device and the additional object proximity sensing device.