VIDEO GAME WITH CONTROLLER SENSING PLAYER INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITY

• US 20110118023A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: FU, QIANG
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041

Abstract

A video game system is operable to receive user touch location information while a first user is holding a game controller and to determine a first user ID for the first user based upon the user touch location information. Thereafter, the video game system is operable to measure an instant acceleration of the game controller, to compare the instant acceleration to a first threshold value and to lock the game controller for use by the first user corresponding to the first user ID based on the comparison of the instant acceleration and the first threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for operating a gaming system, comprising:

measuring an instant acceleration of a game controller of the gaming system;

comparing the instant acceleration to an acceleration threshold value;

disabling use of the game controller based on the comparison of the instant acceleration to the acceleration threshold value; and

after a delay period, enabling use of the game controller.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an identity of a user of the game controller; and

selecting the acceleration threshold value based upon the identity of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the delay period based upon the identity of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving touch pad input from at least one touch sensitive pad of the game controller that has a plurality of touch sensitive elements, the touch pad input corresponding to the user'"'"'s touch of at least some of the plurality of touch sensitive elements; and

processing the touch pad input to identify the user via pattern recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the instant acceleration from the game controller to a game console of the gaming system for processing by the game console for disabling use of the game controller.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving user input via a user interface;

comparing the user input to at least one unlock code; and

upon a favorable comparison, enabling use of the game controller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling use of the game controller based upon instant accelerations of the game controller exceeding the acceleration threshold value a specified number of times.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceleration threshold value is selected based upon a game being played.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the acceleration threshold value is selected based upon a gaming point of a game being played.

10. A game controller, comprising:

a communications interface that supports communications between the game controller and a game console;

an accelerometer module that determines an instant acceleration of the game controller; and

processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and to the accelerometer module, the processing circuitry operable to;

compare the instant acceleration to an acceleration threshold value;

disable use of the game controller based on the comparison of the instant acceleration to the acceleration threshold value; and

after a delay period, enable use of the game controller.

11. The game controller of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

determine the identity of a user of the game controller; and

set the acceleration threshold based upon the identity of the user.

12. The game controller of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to select the delay period based upon the identity of the user.

13. The game controller of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive touch pad input from at least one touch pad of the game controller; and

process the touch pad input to determine the identity of the user of the game controller via pattern recognition.

14. The game controller of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to transmit the instant acceleration from the game controller to a game console of the gaming system for processing by the game console for disabling use of the game controller.

15. The game controller of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to:

receive user input via a user interface;

compare the user input to at least one unlock code; and

upon a favorable comparison, enable use of the game controller.

16. The game controller of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to disable use of the game controller when instant accelerations of the game controller exceed the acceleration threshold value a specified number of times.

17. The game controller of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to select the acceleration threshold value based upon a game being played.

18. The game controller of claim 10 wherein the processing circuitry is operable to select the acceleration threshold value based upon a gaming point of a game being played.

19. A game console of a video game system, comprising:

a communications interface for communicating with a game controller; and

processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface, the processing circuitry is configured to;

receive an instant acceleration value from the game controller via the communications interface;

compare the instant acceleration value to an acceleration threshold value; and

disable use of the controller based upon the comparison of the instant acceleration value to an acceleration threshold value.

20. The game console of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to:

determine an identity of a user of the game controller; and

select the acceleration threshold value based upon the identity of the user.

21. The game console of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to enable the game controller for use after a delay period.

22. The game console of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to:

receive an unlock code from the game controller; and

enable the game controller for use after receiving the unlock code.

23. The game console of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is operable to select from a plurality of acceleration threshold values according to at least one of user identification, a controller identification, a controller type, or a game being played.