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Accelerometer-based controller

  • US 7,774,155 B2
  • Filed: 08/15/2008
  • Issued: 08/10/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A handheld controller for use in wirelessly communicating with an electronic game machine having an associated display screen, a first light emitting marker and a second light emitting marker each mounted spaced from but in the vicinity of the display screen, said handheld controller comprising:

  • a housing having a forward end, a rearward end, a top surface, a bottom surface and side surfaces and sized to be operated by one hand of a user, said housing having a user holding portion, said holding portion having a configuration to be held by a user such that the user'"'"'s palm is disposed at least in part on the top surface and at least one finger is disposed at least in part on the bottom surface;

    at least one processor enclosed within said housing;

    an imaging device located in said housing and including a filter, a lens, and an image sensor for in use detecting light from said first light emitting marker and said second light emitting marker and for generating positional coordinate data related to the positional coordinates of said first light emitting marker and said second light emitting marker, said imaging device being operable to capture multiple frames of image data per second;

    said at least one processor including image processing circuitry coupled to said image sensor and operable in use to receive and process said positional coordinate data and to output processed positional coordinate data;

    a three-axis linear accelerometer in communication with said at least one processor and arranged within said housing for detecting acceleration of the controller along each of three axes and for generating acceleration data along each of the three axes over time to provide rotational-related input and to output acceleration data to said at least one processor;

    said imaging device and said three-axis linear accelerometer being operable as part of a user interface to generate game play control signals in response to at least one of a user swinging the handheld controller and to a user rotating the handheld controller when the user is holding the housing such that the user'"'"'s palm is disposed at least in part on the top surface and at least one finger is disposed at least in part on the bottom surface;

    said three-axis linear accelerometer being operable in use in response to a user swinging the handheld controller and rotating the handheld controller to generate linear acceleration data along each of three axes sufficient to determine at least one of the swinging direction of the handheld controller and the controller rotation;

    a storage device for at least temporarily storing said acceleration data along each of the three axes; and

    a wireless communication device disposed within said housing operatively connected to said processor and operable in use to transmit game play-related signals to said electronic game machine including game play-related signals corresponding to said processed positional coordinate data, and said acceleration data.

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