Video game system and game controller

• US 6,004,210 A
• Filed: 08/27/1996
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shinohara, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US08/703,869
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/159, 345/160, 345/161, 345/162, 345/163, 345/168
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

In a video game system and a game controller, discrepancy ween the manipulation of the user and the display position on screen, etc., can be prevented, without adding adjusting ponents after forwarding them from the factory. The digitized log manipulation information which have been obtained from the ipulation information generating means are calibrated by the ipulation information calibrating means provided in the game troller, and then the digitized and calibrated analog ipulation information which have been obtained by calibration transmitted to the game processing device.

Claims

1. A video game system comprising:

game processing means for processing game instructions;

a game controller;

said game controller comprising;

means for outputting digitized analog manipulation information, proportional to an analog manipulation in. comprising an analog switch for outputting an analog signal which is proportional to said analog manipulation input, and an analog-to-digital converter which provides digitized analog manipulation information;

manipulation information calibrating means for operating on said digitized analog manipulation information, thereby producing digitized calibrated analog manipulation information which is a calibrated form of the analog manipulation information; and

means for outputting the calibrating analog manipulation information to a game device.

2. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said game processing means further comprises means for reproducing instructions from a video recording medium on which said instructions have been recorded.

3. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said game processing means processes said game instructions which have been externally provided.

4. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein said game controller causes calibration of said analog manipulation information by said manipulation information calibrating means in response to a calibration instruction.

5. The video game system according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said game controller calibrates said analog manipulation information by said manipulation information calibrating means, when a power supply is turned on.

6. A game controller, comprising:

means for outputting digitized analog manipulation information, proportional to an analog manipulation input;

calibrating means for operating on said digitized analog manipulation information, thereby producing the digitized calibrated analog manipulation information which is a calibrated form of the analog manipulation information; and

output means for outputting said calibrated analog manipulation information.

7. The game controller according to claim 6, wherein said analog manipulation information is calibrated by said manipulation information calibrating means in response to a calibration instruction.

8. The game controller according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said analog manipulation information is calibrated by said manipulation information calibrating means, when a power supply is turned on.

9. The game controller according to claim 6, wherein:

means for outputting digitized analog manipulation information comprising an analog switch for outputting an analog signal which is proportional to said analog input manipulation, and an analog-to-digital converter which provides digitized analog manipulation information.

10. The game controller according to claim 7, wherein said calibrating means comprises:

storing means for storing control information for calibrating said analog manipulation information; and

processing means for operating on said control information according to a calibration instruction.

11. The game controller according to claim 7, wherein said output means comprises a serial interface for transmitting said calibrated analog manipulation information as serial data.

12. The game controller according to claim 11, wherein said output means comprises means for packetizing said calibrated analog manipulating information.

13. The game controller according to claim 6, wherein said means for outputting digitized, analog manipulation information comprises an interface to which said digitize analog manipulation information obtained from digital manipulation information and analog manipulation input is supplied.

14. A method of calibrating an electronic game comprising the steps of:

generating an analog signal representative of an analog position of a game controller by manipulating an analog switch to produce a manipulation input and outputting an analog signal from said analog switch which is proportional to said manipulation input;

converting the analog signal to a first digital signal; and

correlating the first digital signal with a known position of the game controller to provide a second digital signal which is a calibrated signal representing an actual position of the game controller.