User Interface

• US 20140229870A1
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masoud Haghanegi
• Original Assignee: Goma Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Haghanegi, Masoud
• Granted Patent: US 10,120,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing a controller interface is provided. In one embodiment, the system may include an input device, an input interface, a processor, and a display. The method is capable of associating input components on the input device with input options available for controlling the virtual characters. The method is further capable of associating the input components with origin points of a virtual representation of a user and target points of a virtual representation of an opponent. The method further allows a user to control a virtual character not representing the user.

Claims

1. A system for performing an action on a target using a controller to direct the action, the system comprising:

an input receiver for receiving a plurality of inputs corresponding to a plurality of input options on the controller;

an input association processor for associating the plurality of inputs receivable by the input receiver with a respective plurality of parts of the target, the inputs spatially arranged on the input receiver corresponding to an arrangements of the parts of the target; and

an action performer processor for performing the action on the target in response to an input received by the input receiver, the received input being activation of one of the inputs, and the action being applied to the part of the target corresponding to the one of the inputs.

2. A method of altering the state of a virtual character, the method comprising:

providing a virtual character;

assigning a node identifier to the virtual character, wherein the node identifier is associated with a first node;

assigning a state identifier to the virtual character, wherein the state identifier is associated with a first state of a first state type;

arranging the virtual character based on the state identifier; and

receiving an input indicative of a command to modify the state identifier assigned to the first virtual character.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining a second state of the first state type based on the assigned node identifier;

determining a first state of a second state type based on the assigned node identifier;

modifying the state identifier associated with the virtual character based on the received input and at least one of the second state of the first state type and the first state of the second state type;

arranging the virtual character based on the modified state identifier; and

modifying the node identifier assigned to the virtual character based on the modified state identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying the state identifier comprises associating the state identifier with the first state of the second state type.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying the node identifier comprises associating the node identifier with a second node, and wherein the second node is a secondary node.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining a second state of the first state type based on the assigned node identifier;

modifying the state identifier associated with the virtual character based on the received input and the determined second state;

arranging the virtual character based on the modified state identifier; and

modifying the node identifier assigned to the virtual character based on the modified state identifier.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein modifying the state identifier comprises associating the state identifier with the determined second state.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein modifying the node identifier comprises associating the node identifier with a second node, wherein the second node is a primary node.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the first node is a primary node.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the first state is indicative of a resting position.

11. A system operable to alter the state of a virtual character, the system comprising:

a node database of a plurality of virtual character nodes, wherein each node is associated with a plurality of input sequences;

an input sequence database of a plurality of input sequences, wherein each input sequence is associated with a virtual character state;

a virtual character, wherein the virtual character is assigned a state identifier associated with a virtual character state and a node identifier associated with a node;

an input processor operable to receive an input sequence indicative of a command to modify the state identifier assigned to the virtual character; and

a state processor operable to select a state from the node database based on the input sequence and the node identifier assigned to the virtual character.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one virtual character node is a secondary node.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one virtual character state is a resting position.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one virtual character state is a directional position.

15. A method for associating an input with a character behavior, the method comprising:

providing a character having parts;

mapping inputs of an input device to the parts where the inputs are distributed corresponding to the parts of the character;

detecting a first input of the inputs from the input device, the first input corresponding to a first part of the parts of the character;

associating the first input with a first state of the character;

determining a first character behavior of the first part based on the first state; and

,

effectuating, with a processor, the first character behavior.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

detecting a second input of the inputs from the input device, the second input corresponding to a second part of the parts of the character;

associating the second input with a second state of the character;

determining a second character behavior of the second part based on the first and second state; and

,

effectuating the second character behavior.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first input is a digital input.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein mapping comprises mapping with the input device comprising a keyboard, a numerical keypad, a directional interface, a touch-sensitive device, a neurological interface, or combinations thereof

19. A system for interacting with a virtual character, the system comprising:

an input device, wherein the input device has a plurality of input components such that each input component corresponds to a body part of a first virtual character;

a display device operable to display a second virtual character and a selection indicator, an input processor operable to receive an input from the input device;

a selection processor operable to determine a target point on the second virtual character based on the selection indicator; and

,

a behavior processor operable to exhibit a behavior by the body part of the first virtual character on the target point of the second virtual character based on the received input from the input device.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the input device is a keyboard, a numerical keypad, a directional interface, a touch-sensitive device, a neurological interface, or combinations thereof.

21. A method for interacting with a virtual character comprising:

displaying a first virtual character, wherein the first virtual character comprises a plurality of selectable target points;

receiving a first input indicative of a selected target point;

determining a selected target point based on the received first input;

receiving a second input from an input device, wherein the second input corresponds to a body portion of a second virtual character; and

,

effectuating an action on the second virtual character based on the selected target point and the body portion.

22. A method for controlling interaction between characters with a user input device, the method comprising:

associating a first plurality of input options with a first node, the first node corresponding to a first spatial inter-relationship of a first character with a second character;

associating a second plurality of input options with a second node, the second node corresponding to a second spatial inter-relationship of the first character with the second character, the second spatial inter-relationship different than the first inter-relationship, the second plurality of input options having at least one same input option as the first plurality of input options;

receiving a selection of the first or second node from the user input device; and

controlling interaction of the first character with the second character in response to input from the user input device, the controlling being a function of the first plurality of input options where the selection was of the first node and a function of the second plurality of input options where the selection was of the second node, the same input associated with different action as a function of the selection of the first and second nodes.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the first spatial inter-relationship is the second character facing the first character, wherein the second spatial inter-relationship is the second character facing away from the first character, wherein the same input option comprises selecting a head of the first character and a head of the second character, wherein controlling comprises contacting a face of the first character with a face of the second character for selection of the first node and contacting the face of the first character with a back of a head of the second character for selection of the second node.

24. A method for controlling interaction between characters with a user input device, the method comprising:

assigning different spatial inter-relationships of a first virtual character with a second virtual character to at least first and second nodes;

assigning a plurality of interaction options of the first virtual character with the second virtual character for each of the at least first and second nodes, the interaction options for each of the first and second nodes corresponding to possible interactions given the different spatial inter-relationships; and

controlling the first virtual character relative to the second virtual character as a function of selection of one of the at least first and second nodes and selection of one of the interaction options.

25. A method for controlling a first virtual person in a computer environment, the method comprising:

associating a first binary input control with a first portion of the first virtual person;

receiving a first number of activations of the first binary input control; and

determining a force of interaction of the first portion of the first virtual person with the computer environment as a function of the first number of activations.

26. A method for controlling interaction in a computer environment, the method comprising:

controlling, with a user input, a first virtual character as a self; and

controlling, with the user input, an interaction of a second virtual character with the first virtual character.

27. A method for controlling a first virtual person in a computer environment, the method comprising:

identifying a first location for interaction with a pointer device;

associating at least two input controls with a corresponding at least two portions of the first virtual character;

receiving a selection of a first of the at least two input controls; and

causing a first of the at least two portions of the first virtual character to interact with the first location in response to the selection.