FILTERING CONTROLLER INPUT MODE

• US 20170087455A1
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Black, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US14/868,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087455A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A user can interface with a computer system to interact with a computer program using an input device. The device includes one or more tracking devices and an input mode control. The one or more tracking devices are configured to communicate information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers to the computer system. The input mode control is configured to communicate an input mode signal to the computer system during interaction with the computer program. The input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a particular input mode of a plurality of different input modes.

Claims

1. An input device for interfacing with a computer system to interact with a computer program, comprising:

one or more tracking devices configured to communicate information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers to the computer system; and

an input mode control configured to communicate an input mode signal to the computer system during interaction with the computer program, wherein the input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a particular input mode of a plurality of different input modes.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input modes include a first input mode corresponding to motion control input commands and a second input mode corresponding to gesture control input commands.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers includes three-dimensional position data.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input modes include a programmable input mode.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input mode signal is configured to prompt the computer system to display an input mode-specific user interface to the user.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input mode control is a hardware element activated by user manipulation.

7. The input device of claim 6, wherein the hardware element is a digital button.

8. The input device of claim 6, wherein the input mode control is activated in response to a user manipulating the hardware element for a predetermined period of time.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein the predetermined period of time is greater than 150 milliseconds.

10. The input device of claim 8, wherein the hardware element provides a separate control input command when a manipulation time period threshold is not exceeded.

11. The input device of claim 6, wherein the hardware element is an analog button.

12. The input device of claim 6, wherein the hardware element is a pressure sensitive button.

13. The input device of claim 12, wherein the pressure sensitive button is configured to activate one or more additional modes of input in response to varying pressures applied to the hardware element.

14. The input device of claim 6, wherein the hardware element is a two-state button.

15. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input mode control is further configured to be continuously activated by a user in order to provide input commands corresponding to the particular input mode.

16. The input device of claim 1, wherein an input corresponding to the particular input mode is executed upon the deactivation of the input mode control.

17. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to revert to interpreting the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a previous mode.

18. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to revert to interpreting the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a previous mode upon deactivation of the input control.

19. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input control is incorporated into a wearable component device.

20. The input device of claim 19, wherein the input control is a user action interpreted by the wearable component device as an input control activation command.

21. The input device of claim 19, wherein the user action is a physical movement performed by the user.

22. The input device of claim 19, wherein the user action is an auditory signal created by the user.

23. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input control is activated when one or more of the one or more controllers progresses through a sequence of motions recognized by the computer system as an input control activation sequence.

24. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input control is activated when one or more of the one or more controllers is held in a specific position recognized by the computer system as an input control activation sequence.

25. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input control is a on a first controller, and the position of a second controller is communicated to the computer system with respect to the second input channel.

26. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input control is configured to be activated when a user is prompted by the computer system.

27. The input device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the component devices includes a microphone capable of interpreting sounds made by a user and a camera capable of tracking the movement of a user'"'"'s body for the purpose of motion control input.

28. The input device of claim 27, wherein the user acts as the controller.

29. The input device of claim 28, wherein the input control is activated by a specific sequence of actions performed by the user.

30. A method for providing input to a computer system to interact with a computer, comprising:

communicating information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers from one or more tracking devices to the computer system; and

communicating an input mode signal to the computer system during interaction with the computer program with an input mode control, wherein the input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a particular input mode of a plurality of input modes.

31. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions embodied therein, the computer executable instructions being configured to cause a computer system to cause an input device to:

communicate information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers from one or more tracking devices to the computer system; and

communicate an input mode signal to the computer system during interaction with the computer program with an input mode control, wherein the input mode signal is configured to cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a particular input mode of a plurality of input modes

32. A method for operating a computer system, comprising:

receiving information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers from one or more tracking devices with the computer system;

interpreting the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a first input mode during interaction between the one or more controllers with a computer program running on the computer system;

receiving an input mode signal from an input control with the computer system during interaction between the one or more controllers with the computer program; and

in response to the input mode signal, causing the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a second input mode that is different from the first input mode.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first input mode corresponds to motion control input commands and the second input mode corresponding to gesture control input commands

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers includes three-dimensional position data.

35. The input device of claim 32, wherein the second input mode is a programmable input mode.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the computer system displays an input mode-specific user interface to the user in response to the input mode signal.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the input mode-specific user interface is configured to display actions corresponding to the second input mode that are available to a user.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the first or second input mode provides one-to-one control of a digital avatar.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the input mode control is continuously activated in order to provide input commands corresponding to the second input mode.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein an input corresponding to the second input mode is executed upon the deactivation of the input mode control.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising reverting the computer program to interpreting the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to the first input mode in response to receiving a subsequent input mode signal.

42. The method of claim 32, further comprising reverting the computer program to interpreting the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to the first input mode upon deactivation of the input control.

43. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

computer executable instructions embodied in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured to cause the computer system to;

receive information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers from one or more tracking devices with the computer system;

interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a first input mode during interaction between the one or more controllers with a computer program running on the computer system;

receive an input mode signal from an input control with the computer system during interaction between the one or more controllers with the computer program; and

in response to the input mode signal, cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a second input mode that is different from the first input mode.

44. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions embodied therein, the computer executable instructions being configured to cause a computer system to cause a computer system to:

receive information relating to a position, orientation, or motion of one or more controllers from one or more tracking devices with the computer system;

interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a first input mode during interaction between the one or more controllers with a computer program running on the computer system;

receive an input mode signal from an input control with the computer system during interaction between the one or more controllers with the computer program; and

in response to the input mode signal, cause the computer program to interpret the information relating to the position, orientation or motion of the one or more controllers according to a second input mode that is different from the first input mode.