Game control device having genre data

• US 6,965,368 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ingman, Robert, Leatham, Scott R., Ray, Kenneth D., Andrews, Marcus J., Holan, Doron J., Bhesania, Firdosh K., Sharma, Om K., Peretz, Ervin, Veres, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/497,914
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/168, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 709/321, 710/129, 710/63, 710/62, 710/5, 710/313, 711/100, 713/201, 395/275, 340/706
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/80 specially adapted for executing a specific type of game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A computer peripheral has a processor, non-volatile memory, and a plurality of controls. The non-volatile memory holds control mappings corresponding to a plurality of application program genres. The control mappings indicate actions to be performed in application programs of particular genres in response to actuation of particular controls. The control mappings indicate controls by unique string indexes that are also used in HID control descriptors associated with the computer peripheral.

Claims

1. A game control device that conforms to Universal Serial Bus (USB) device class definitions for Human Interface Devices (HIDs), comprising:

a plurality of human-actuated controls;

one or more HID descriptors that describe aspects of the human-actuated controls, the HID descriptors associating HID string indexes with the respective human-actuated controls;

control mappings corresponding to a plurality of application program genres, the control mappings indicating actions to be performed in application programs of particular genres in response to respective ones of the human-actuated controls, wherein the control mappings identify controls by their HID string indexes, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by the application programs.

2. A game control device as recited in claim 1, the control mappings being indicated in data sets comprising:

a control section indicating the HID string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating actions to be performed in application programs of particular genres in response to respective ones of the human-actuated controls.

3. A computer peripheral comprising:

a plurality of human-actuated controls;

non-volatile memory containing control mappings corresponding to a plurality of application program genres, the control mappings indicating actions to be performed in application programs of particular genres in response to respective ones of the human-actuated controls, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by the application programs.

4. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, wherein the computer peripheral is a USB device and contains device class descriptions of the human-actuated controls in a format specified by the USB device class definition for human interface devices (HIDs), the control mappings containing references to HID identifiers for the respective human-actuated controls.

5. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, wherein the computer peripheral is a USB device and contains descriptions of the human-actuated controls in a USB-specified format, the control mappings containing references to control identifiers contained in said descriptions.

6. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, wherein the computer peripheral is a USB device and contains device class descriptions of the human-actuated controls in a format specified by the USB device class definition for human interface devices (HIDs), said device class definitions defining different HID string indexes for the respective human-actuated controls, the control mappings identifying controls by their different HID string indexes.

7. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory containing a descriptor comprising:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

8. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory containing a descriptor comprising:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the string indexes corresponding to separately defined human device interface (HID) string indexes;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres, the control mappings identifying controls by their HID string indexes.

9. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory containing a descriptor comprising:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the computer peripheral and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres;

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the computer peripheral, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral.

10. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory also containing control data that indicates:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral;

coordinates of the graphics overlays.

11. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory also containing control data that indicates:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral;

coordinates of the graphics overlays;

coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

12. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory containing a descriptor comprising:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the computer peripheral and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the control section also indicating graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

13. A computer peripheral as recited in claim 3, the non-volatile memory further containing one more graphics images that identify the locations of the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral.

14. A method comprising:

defining a plurality of application program genres, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by application programs classifiable in the genre;

running an application program that has been classified as a particular application program genre, wherein the application program is responsive to a plurality of human-actuated controls on a control device;

querying the control device to obtain a genre descriptor, the genre descriptor indicating actions to be performed by an application program of said particular application program genre in response to respective ones of the human-actuated controls.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

retrieving one or more HID descriptors from the control device, the HID descriptors describing aspects of the human-actuated controls, the HID descriptors associating HID string indexes with the respective human-actuated controls;

wherein the obtained genre descriptor identifies the human-actuated controls by their HID string indexes.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the string indexes corresponding to separately defined human device interface (HID) string indexes;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres, the control mappings identifying controls by their HID string indexes.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the genre descriptor;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres;

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the control device, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays.

20. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays;

coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

21. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the control section also indicating graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises one more graphics images that identify the locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

23. A computer-readable storage medium containing system services utilized by an application program to interact with a control device having a plurality of human-actuated controls, wherein the system services perform acts comprising:

receiving a request from an application program for a genre description corresponding to one of a plurality of application program genres, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by application programs classifiable in the genre;

querying the control device to obtain a genre descriptor, the genre descriptor indicating actions to be performed by an application program of said one of a plurality of application program genres in response to respective ones of the human-actuated controls;

returning the obtained genre descriptor to the requesting application program.

24. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

25. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, the systems services performs a further act comprising:

retrieving one or more HID descriptors from the control device, the HID descriptors describing aspects of the human-actuated controls, the HID descriptors associating HID string indexes with the respective human-actuated controls;

wherein the obtained genre descriptor identifies the human-actuated controls by their HID string indexes.

26. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the string indexes corresponding to separately defined human device interface (HID) string indexes;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres, the control mappings identifying controls by their HID string indexes.

27. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the genre descriptor;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres;

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the control device, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

28. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays.

29. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays;

coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

30. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the control section also indicating graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

31. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises one more graphics images that identify the locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

32. A data transmission medium carrying a data structure comprising:

a header section indicating the number of human-actuated controls on a computer peripheral and the number of application program genres for which control mappings exist in the data structure;

a control section indicating HID string indexes for the respective controls on the computer peripheral;

a genre section indicating control mappings for the respective application program genres, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by application programs classifiable in the genre.

33. A data transmission medium as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the computer peripheral, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral.

34. A data transmission medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the control section also indicates graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral.

35. A data transmission medium as recited in claim 32, further comprising a diagram section, the diagram section comprising graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the computer peripheral;

wherein the control section indicates coordinates of the graphics overlays and coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

36. A method of using an input device connected to a computing device with software executable on said computing device, said method comprising the acts of:

running an application program which is responsive to input, said application program being classified as a particular one of a plurality of application program genres, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by application programs classifiable in the genre;

querying a control device having a plurality of human-actuated controls, said control device storing a genre descriptor indicating actions to be performed by application programs in said particular application program genre in response to said human-actuated controls;

obtaining, in response to said querying act, said genre descriptor; and

generating input to said application program in accordance with said genre descriptor.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

38. A method as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

retrieving one or more HID descriptors from the control device, the HID descriptors describing aspects of the human-actuated controls, the HID descriptors associating HID string indexes with the respective human-actuated controls;

wherein the obtained genre descriptor identifies the human-actuated controls by their HID string indexes.

39. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the string indexes corresponding to separately defined human device interface (HID) string indexes; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres, the control mappings identifying controls by their HID string indexes.

40. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the genre descriptor;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres; and

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the control device, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

41. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device; and

coordinates of the graphics overlays.

42. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays;

coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

43. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the control section also indicating graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

44. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises one more graphics images that identify the locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

45. A method of enabling the use of an application program that executes on a computing device with a control device having human-actuated controls, said method comprising the acts of:

defining a plurality of application program genres, each of said genres comprising a set of semantics and not including commands interpretable by application programs classifiable in the genre;

creating a genre descriptor, said genre descriptor indicating, for each one of said plurality of application program genres, actions to be performed by application programs in the respective application program genres in response to said human-actuated controls;

storing said genre descriptor in a memory of said control device, said memory being communicatively coupleable to said computing device whereby said genre descriptor is accessible to said computing device.

46. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

47. A method as recited in claim 45, further comprising:

retrieving one or more HID descriptors from the control device, the HID descriptors describing aspects of the human-actuated controls, the HID descriptors associating HID string indexes with the respective human-actuated controls;

wherein the obtained genre descriptor identifies the human-actuated controls by their HID string indexes.

48. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the string indexes corresponding to separately defined human device interface (HID) string indexes; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres, the control mappings identifying controls by their HID string indexes.

49. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the genre descriptor;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls;

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres; and

a diagram section containing one more graphics images of the control device, the one or more graphics images identifying locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.

50. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device; and

coordinates of the graphics overlays.

51. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

string indexes for the respective controls;

graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device;

coordinates of the graphics overlays;

coordinates for pointers to the human-actuated controls.

52. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises:

a header section indicating the number of controls on the control device and the number of genres for which control mappings exist in the non-volatile memory;

a control section indicating string indexes for the respective controls, the control section also indicating graphics overlays that identify the human-actuated controls on the control device; and

a genre section indicating the control mappings for the respective application program genres.

53. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the obtained genre descriptor comprises one more graphics images that identify the locations of the human-actuated controls on the control device.