Flat Joystick Controller

• US 20130324254A1
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Huang, Ennin, Mikhailov, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 9,874,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• 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 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• 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 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A controller device to interface with a computer gaming system includes a body having a handle and an object disposed at one end of the handle. A touch surface is disposed on one side of the handle. The touch surface has an indicator that is identified by a surface characteristic on the touch surface. The touch surface provides an area for receiving directionality control in response to interfacing by a finger of a user. In addition to the touch surface, a plurality of buttons are disposed on the body. A circuitry is disposed in the body of the controller. The circuitry is configured to receive data indicative of a directionality control and transmit the data to a game console for impacting an action by a program executing on the computer gaming system.

Claims

1. A controller for interfacing with an interactive application executing on a console, comprising:

an input surface including a plurality of sensors disposed thereon, the plurality of sensors configured to detect touch input on the input surface;

an indicator defined on the input surface to identify a reference location on the input surface, the touch input is detected relative to the indicator on the input surface; and

processing circuitry within the controller for analyzing raw data associated with the touch input and for transmitting signals to the interactive application to control an action.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller has a controller body that is elongated with a handle and an object disposed at one end of the handle, the handle having the input surface, and the handle is configured for holding by a single hand of a user.

3. The controller of claim 2, wherein the input surface is positioned on the handle proximate to a location of a thumb of the user'"'"'s single hand, when the controller is held.

4. The controller of claim 1, further comprising,

tactile circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry to trigger tactile feedback in response to the touch input at the input surface.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to detect and transmit touch input in relation to the indicator to the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry analyzes the touch input to identify input attributes of the touch input, wherein the input attributes include location, resident time and magnitude of pressure applied at the location on the input surface.

6. The controller of claim 1, further comprising,

illumination circuitry with a plurality of illumination elements, the illumination circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry to obtain illumination feedback data and provide visual feedback in response to the detected touch input, wherein the plurality of illumination elements are light emitting diodes.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to compute a magnitude of displacement and direction of touch input in relation to the indicator based on the input attributes of the touch input.

8. The controller of claim 4, wherein the tactile feedback and visual feedback are provided based on magnitude of pressure applied and resident time of the touch input at a specific location on the input surface identified by the input attributes.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to,

detect a magnitude of pressure applied by the touch input at a specific location on the input surface;

verify the magnitude of pressure applied and location against pre-defined threshold value; and

activate the input surface of the controller for receiving the touch input when the specific location matches the location defined in the pre-defined threshold value and magnitude of pressure applied by the touch input at the specific location exceeds a predefined threshold value.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the location is reference location of the indicator and the activation is based on state of the interactive application executing at the console.

11. The controller of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to lock the touch input at a specific location when the magnitude of pressure applied by the touch input at the specific location exceeds a predefined threshold value.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to release the lock at the specific location based on a subsequent touch input, the lock being released when the magnitude of pressure applied by the subsequent touch input exceeds the predefined threshold value, wherein the location of the subsequent touch input is any location on the input surface.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to revert the location of the touch input at the controller back to a default location on the input surface when the touch input ceases at the controller.

14. The controller of claim 7, wherein the magnitude of displacement and speed of movement is computed based on relative distance of the location of the touch input from the indicator and relative speed of change in location of the touch input at the input surface.

15. A method for providing input to an interactive application executing at a console using a controller, comprising:

activating the controller for the console to detect and receive touch input at an input surface of the controller, the input surface having a plurality of sensors disposed thereon and an indicator identifying a reference location on the input surface, the touch input detected in relation to the indicator;

receiving touch input at the input surface of the controller, the touch input defining finger contact at the input surface;

transmitting data associated with the touch input and gestures detected from the finger contact to the console, the transmitting being continued during finger contact at the input surface when the controller is active; and

detecting release of finger contact at the input surface, the release of finger contact resulting in resetting a starting location for receiving subsequent touch input on the input surface of the controller.

16. The method of claim 15, further includes generating at least one of visual or sensory feedback at the controller in response to the detected touch input.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the activating further includes,

computing magnitude of pressure applied at a specific location of the input surface based on the input features;

comparing the specific location and magnitude of pressure applied at the specific location against a predefined threshold value; and

when the specific location is a default location specified in the predefined threshold value and the magnitude of pressure applied is equal to or greater than the predefined threshold value, activating the controller for receiving the touch input for the interactive application executing at the console.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the default location is the reference location defined by the indicator.

19. A controller device for interfacing with computer gaming system, comprising,

a body having a handle and an object disposed at one end of the handle;

a touch surface disposed on one side of the handle, the touch surface having an indicator that is identified by a surface characteristic on the touch surface, the touch surface providing an area for receiving directionality control in response to interfacing by a finger of a user;

a plurality of buttons on the body, the plurality of buttons being in addition to the touch surface; and

circuitry disposed in the body of the controller, the circuitry being configured to receive data indicative of the directionality control and transmit the data to a game console for impacting an action by a program executing on the computer gaming system.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein the touch surface is a smooth substrate surface configured to receive the finger of the user and allow the finger of the user to slide on the smooth substrate surface, wherein the directionality control is oriented with reference to the indicator.