Video game controller with side or quick look feature

• US 7,235,012 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brain Box Concepts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Brain Box Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: DiDato, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/207,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6607 for animating game characters, e.g. skeleton kinematics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A video game includes a controller, a processor and display. The controller includes a special quick look button 28 that, when activated, allows a player to causes a looking movement of a character that simulates the lateral rotation of the head or upper body of a person looking sideways while walking forward.

Claims

1. A video game apparatus comprising:

a processor executing a sequence of steps in accordance with a program for a game, said sequence including simulating the movement of a virtual character having an upper and a lower body portion;

a screen displaying scenes of the game, including scenes presented from the viewing field of the virtual character;

a controller operated by a player, said controller including a selector device having at least a side position and a neutral position, said selector device being activated by a user to move it from said neutral position to said side position and being adapted to return automatically to said neutral position after it has been released by the user;

wherein said processor and said controller cooperate to define a scene change function in which said display shows lateral scenes in a manner that imitates relative rotation between the upper and lower body portions of the video character in response to the activation of said selector from said neutral position and said side position;

and wherein said processor and said controller further define a locked position in which said display shows said lateral scenes after said selector device returns to said neutral position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said virtual character is adapted to face a predetermined direction, with said screen showing a front scene as viewed by said virtual character and wherein, in response to said activation said screen changes to said lateral screen simulating a movement of the head of said character.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the upper body portion rotates to simulate head movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said device is a sliding-type device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an unlock device for unlocking said locked position wherein when said device is unlocked, the screen is returned to show a front scene.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selector device is dedicated to the scene change function.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a release member activated by the user to release said locked position.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said processor and controller cooperate to simulate walking of said virtual character forward while he is looking laterally.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said processor and controller cooperate to shift the position of the virtual character to a new position corresponding in which said lateral view becomes the forward view.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a position control device responsive to a new command by the user, said position control device rotating said virtual character to said new position in response to said new command.

11. A gaming apparatus comprising:

a screen displaying scenes from a game;

a processor responsive to commands and performing steps for a game in accordance with a software program, including generating data for said screen to show a first scene in a predetermined direction;

a controller operated by a player to generate said commands, said controller cooperating with said processor to change said data to selectively show a second scene laterally of said first scene to simulate a look movement including a lateral look by a character of the game without moving the whole body of the character; and

a scene control device operated by a user and having a neutral position and a side position, said scene control device being biased to said neutral position so that when said scene control device is activated by placing it from said neutral to said side position, said scene control device automatically returning to said neutral position when the user releases said scene control device from said side position;

said scene control device, said controller and said processor cooperating to show said first scene when said scene control device is originally in said neutral position and said second scene when said scene control device is placed in said side position, said scene control device and said processor cooperating to continue to show said second scene after said scene control device automatically returns to said neutral position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said controller includes a button selectively activated by the player to initiate said look movement.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said button includes a knob sliding in a track.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said button cooperates with said processor to simulate the rotational movement of an upper body of the character as said knob is sliding in said track.

15. A method of operating a video gaming apparatus having a screen for displaying game scenes, a processor operating in accordance with software and a controller having a neutral position and a side position, said controller being activated by a user to move it from said neutral to said side position and being adapted to automatically return from said side position to said neutral position when released by said user, said method comprising:

generating and displaying a sequence of frontal scenes associated with the movement of a game character in a first direction;

receiving a command from the user when said user activates said controller to move it to said side position;

responsive to said command shifting said sequence to show lateral scenes simulating a quick look movement of said character; and

continuing showing said lateral scenes after said controller is released.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said character is moving in said first direction and looking in a second direction during said quick look movement.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said quick look movement simulates an upper body rotation toward said second direction.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said quick look movement simulates a head rotation toward said second direction.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising unlocking said lateral scenes, wherein said display returns to showing frontal scenes.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising moving said character in said second direction after said quick look movement.

21. A software product for a first person or third person game to be played on a gaming device associated with a controller having a quick look feature, said controller being movable by a user between a neutral position and a side position, said controller being biased to return to said neutral position after it is released by a user from said side position, comprising:

a module simulating walking of a character in a first direction; and

simulating looking of said character in a second direction in response to an activation of said quick look feature while the body of said character is still turned in said first direction, wherein said simulation of looking of said character in said second direction is continued after said controller is released by the user and returns to said neutral position.

22. The software product of claim 21 wherein said simulated looking consists of turning one of a head and a torso of the character by an amount defined by the quick look feature.