Electronic sword game with input and feedback

• US 7,247,097 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kico Sound LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Woolston, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/971,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 3, 463 7- 8, 463 36- 42, 273/148.B, 345/156, 345/158
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• 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 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 : for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 : Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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

Abstract

An electro-mechanical device for providing an input to a computer program and said computer program providing a tactile output through said electro-mechanical device to a user. More specifically, the present invention provides an electro-mechanical virtual sword game apparatus that receives positional information from sensors on the sword apparatus and the sword apparatus contains a propulsion gyrostat that under the control of a computer process may be topple to provide a torque on the housing of the sword apparatus that may be used to simulate the impact of sword blows.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a flywheel disposed within said housing;

a first gimbal in which said flywheel is mounted, said first gimbal being capable of providing a first degree of freedom for said flywheel;

at least one or more motors capable of spinning said flywheel; and

at least one or more sensors capable of obtaining position information of said flywheel;

said one or more motors being capable of toppling said flywheel based at least in part on the position information of said flywheel in response to a toppling event.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second gimbal in which said first gimbal is mounted, said second gimbal being capable of providing a second degree of freedom for said flywheel.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one or more sensors capable of obtaining position information of said housing, said one or more motors being capable of toppling said flywheel based at least in part on the position information of said housing.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit capable of receiving a control signal indicative of the toppling event, said circuit being capable of transmitting the control signal to said one or more motors.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit capable of receiving a wireless control signal indicative of the toppling event, said circuit being capable of transmitting the wireless control signal to said one or more motors.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toppling of the flywheel by said one or more motors imparts a torque generated by said flywheel on said housing.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises at least one of a sword, gun, bazooka, knife, hammer, or axe, or a combination thereof.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one or more toppling event sensors disposed within said housing, said one or more toppling event sensors being capable of sensing a toppling event based at least in part on an acceleration of the housing.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an audio circuit coupled to a speaker disposed in said housing, said audio circuit being capable of causing the speaker to generate an audio output in response to the toppling event.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a clutch disposed within said housing, said clutch being capable of temporarily locking an axis of said first gimbal during the toppling event.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toppling event is determined at least in part by said one or more circuits disposed internal to said housing and coupled to said one or more motors.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toppling event is determined external to said housing and received as a control signal by a circuit disposed within said housing and coupled to said one or more motors.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a position signal indicative of a position of a housing;

determining a toppling event based at least in part on a position of the housing;

generating a toppling event signal based at least in part on said determining; and

transmitting the toppling event signal to the housing, wherein the toppling event signal is indicative of a torque to be applied to said housing.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, said receiving comprising receiving the position signal as a wireless signal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, said transmitting comprising transmitting the toppling event signal as a wireless signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, said generating comprising:

determining a velocity vector of said housing based at least in part on the position of the housing;

calculating a magnitude of the toppling event based at least in part on the velocity vector; and

encoding the magnitude of the toppling event in the toppling event signal.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing; and

displaying at least one other object on the display, said generating being executed in response to the representation of the housing on the display colliding with the at least one other object on the display.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing;

displaying at least one other object on the display;

determining a velocity vector of a collision of the representation of the housing on the display with the one other object on the display;

calculating a magnitude of the toppling event based at least in part on the velocity vector; and

encoding the magnitude of the toppling event in the toppling event signal.

20. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed by a computing platform, result in the application of a torque to a housing by:

receiving a position signal indicative of a position of the housing;

determining a toppling event based at least in part on a position of the housing;

generating a toppling event signal based at least in part on said determining; and

transmitting the toppling event signal to the housing, wherein the toppling event signal is indicative of a torque to be applied to said housing.

21. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by receiving the position signal as a wireless signal.

22. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by transmitting the toppling event signal as a wireless signal.

23. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by:

determining a velocity vector of said housing based at least in part on the position of the housing;

calculating a magnitude of the toppling event based at least in part on the velocity vector; and

encoding the magnitude of the toppling event in the toppling event signal.

24. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing.

25. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by:

displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing; and

displaying at least one other object on the display, said generating being executed in response to the representation of the housing on the display colliding with the at least one other object on the display.

26. An article as claimed in claim 20, wherein the instructions, if executed, further result in application of a torque to the housing by:

displaying a representation of the housing on a display at a position on the display representative of the position of the housing;

displaying at least one other object on the display;

determining a velocity vector of a collision of the representation of the housing on the display with the one other object on the display;

calculating a magnitude of the toppling event based at least in part on the velocity vector; and

encoding the magnitude of the toppling event in the toppling event signal.