Controller for a Games System

• US 20100311504A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dublin Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Dublin Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Deegan, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/664,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• 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 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

The present application provides a controller for a dual analog controller games system, the controller being provided in the form of an action figure having a base, a torso and at least one member connected to the torso, wherein a first analog stick input is obtained by detecting tilting motion of the torso relative to the base and where a second analog stick input is partially obtained by detecting rotational movement relative to the torso.

Claims

1. A controller for use with a games system, the games system being configured to receive inputs from a dual analog controller comprising at least two analog sticks, the controller comprising:

a base,

a torso tiltably and rotatably mounted with respect to said base,

at least one arm rotatably connected to said torso,

first and second sensors configured to detect tilting motion of the torso relative to the base, a first analog stick circuit accepting the first and second sensor outputs and providing a first analog stick output signal, a third sensor configured to detect rotational movement of the torso relative to the base,

a fourth sensor configured to detect movement of the arm relative to the torso, a second analog stick circuit accepting the third and fourth sensor outputs and providing a second analog stick output signal.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are orthogonally arranged.

3. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are potentiometers.

4. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the torso is resiliently biased to central axis of said base.

5. A controller according to claim 1 wherein the torso is mounted on a member extending from said base.

6. A controller according to claim 5, wherein the member is tiltably mounted to said base.

7. A controller according to claim 5, wherein the torso is rotatably mounted on said member.

8. A controller according to claim 5, wherein the third sensor is positioned in the torso at the top of the member.

9. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are positioned in the base at the bottom of the member.

10. A controller according to claim 1 wherein one or more controller buttons are provided on the one or both arms.

11. A controller according to claim 1, wherein one or more controller buttons are provided on the top surface of the torso.

12. A controller according to claim 1, wherein one or more controller buttons are provided on the front or rear surface of the torso.

13. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller is in the shape of a human figure and the torso of the human figure corresponds to the torso of the controller.

14. A controller according to claim 13, wherein an arm of the figure corresponds to the arm of the controller.

18. A controller according to claim 1, further comprising a head which is tiltably mounted to the torso and further comprising one or more switches for detecting the orientation of the head to the torso.

20. A controller according to claim 18, wherein the head is resiliently biased to a central position.

21. A controller according to claim 1, wherein the controller is in the shape of an animal the torso of the animal figure corresponds to the torso of the controller.

26. A controller according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor for measuring the movement of the controller relative to a surface in at least one direction.

27. A controller according to claim 26, where the relative movement is measured in two directions.

30. A modular controller comprising a controller according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arm is removably mounted to the controller.

31. A modular controller according to claim 30, wherein the base is removably mounted to the controller.

15. (canceled)

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22. (canceled)

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25. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

32. A controller for a dual analog controller games system, the controller being provided in the form of an action figure having a base, a torso and at least one member connected to the torso, wherein a first analog stick input is obtained by detecting tilting motion of the torso relative to the base and where a second analog stick input is partially obtained by detecting rotational movement relative to the torso.