Input control apparatus and an interactive system using the same

• US 8,259,072 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chin-Lin, Lian, Jr-Wei, Liou, Shun-Nan, Tsai, Ming-Jye
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hegarty, Kelly B
• Application Number:
  US11/867,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20090042649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/39, 463/30, 463/31, 463/38, 463/43, 345157-172, 345/156, 348/734, 273/148.B
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 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 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes

Abstract

An input control apparatus and an interactive system using the same are disclosed. The input control apparatus comprises: a switch unit, for selecting an input mode for the input control apparatus selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode and the combination thereof; an interface unit, for generating an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit; a remote control unit, for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode and the input signal. By transmitting the control signals of two aforesaid input control apparatuses to an electronic device, such as a computer, an interactive gaming device or an interactive multimedia device, two such input control apparatuses can be integrated as a handheld apparatus with a left-hand unit and a right-hand unit for meeting the control requirements of a comparatively more complicated game executing on the electronic device. However, for those less complicated game, the two input control apparatuses can be configured as independent devices to be operated by different users. Thereby, users are able to interact with the electronic device.

Claims

1. An inertial sensing input control apparatus with a plurality of simulated input modes, comprising:

a switch unit having three registers and a single key, wherein the three registers are for holding three flag values, each flag value representing a mouse, a keyboard, and a joystick respectively, and the single key is for selecting one input mode out of said plurality of simulated input modes corresponding to the stored flag values for the input control apparatus;

a first interface unit, for generating and transmitting at least an input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit;

a second interface unit, for generating and transmitting at least another input signal according to the input mode selected by the switch unit;

a first inertial sensing module, being configured with at least an inertial sensor, for generating at least an inertial sensing parameter for input simulation by sensing a sequence of motions of a first human body;

a second inertial sensing module, being configured with at least another inertial sensor, for generating at least a second inertial sensing parameter for input simulation by sensing a sequence of motions of a second human body; and

a remote control unit, coupled to the switch unit, the interface units, and the inertial sensing modules for generating and thus transmitting a control signal according to the input mode, the at least one input signal and the at least one inertial sensing parameter;

wherein said plurality of simulated input modes are selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode, and all combinations of modes thereof;

wherein the first and second interface units generate respective input signals corresponding to a selected input mode of the inertial sensing input control apparatus, a defined combination of at least one pressed key of the inertial sensing input control apparatus actuated by at least one user, and the respective inertial sensing parameters generated by the first and second inertial sensing modules.

2. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interface unit is coupled to at least an input unit;

and the input unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a cross key, an assembly of a plurality of press buttons, and the combination thereof.

3. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving end, including;

a receiving unit, for receiving the control signal generated from the remote control unit;

an operation unit, coupled to the receiving unit for analyzing the control signal into an operation signal; and

an interface connecting unit, for transmitting the operation signal to an electronic device;

wherein, the electronic device is a device selected from the group consisting of a computer, an interactive gaming device and an interactive multimedia device.

4. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first interface unit is electrically connected to the electronic device by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired means and a wireless means;

and the wired means is enabled by an interface selected form the group consisting of a PS/2 interface and an USB interface; and

the wireless means is enabled by a way selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and radio frequency (RF) communication.

5. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein each inertial sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of at least a gyroscope, at least an accelerometer, and the combination thereof.

6. The inertial sensing input control apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the inertial sensing modules is used for sensing at least a control motion and thus correspondingly generating the at least one inertial sensing parameter according to the input mode selected by the switch unit.

7. An interactive system, comprising:

a first inertial sensing input control apparatus with a plurality of first simulated input modes, comprising;

a first switch unit having first three registers and a first single key, wherein the first three registers are for holding three flag values, each flag value representing a mouse, a keyboard, and a joystick respectively, and the first single key is for selecting a first selected input mode out of said plurality of first simulated input modes corresponding to the stored flag values for the first input control apparatus;

a first interface unit, for generating and transmitting at least a first input signal according to the first selected input mode selected by the first switch unit;

a first inertial sensing module, being configured with at least an inertial sensor, for generating a first inertial sensing parameter for input simulation by sensing a sequence of motions of a first human body; and

a first remote control unit, coupled to the first switch unit and the first interface unit for generating and thus transmitting a first control signal according to the first selected input mode and the at least one first input signal;

wherein the first interface unit generates the at least first input signal corresponding to the first selected input mode of the first inertial sensing input control apparatus, a defined combination of at least one pressed key of the first inertial sensing input control apparatus actuated by a user, and the first inertial sensing parameter generated by the first inertial sensing module;

wherein said plurality of first simulated input modes are selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode, and all combinations of modes thereof;

a second inertial sensing input control apparatus with a plurality of second simulated input modes, comprising;

a second switch unit having second three registers and a second single key, wherein the second three registers are for holding three flag values, each flag value representing a mouse, a keyboard, and a joystick respectively, and the second single key is for selecting the second selected input mode out of said plurality of second simulated input modes corresponding to the stored flag values for the second input control apparatus;

a second interface unit, for generating and transmitting at least a second input signal according to the second selected input mode selected by the second switch unit;

a second inertial sensing module, being configured with at least another inertial sensor, for generating a second inertial sensing parameter for input simulation by sensing a sequence of motions of a second human body; and

a second remote control unit, coupled to the second switch unit and the second interface unit for generating and thus transmitting a second control signal according to the second selected input mode and the at least one second input signal;

wherein the second interface unit generates the at least second input signal corresponding to the second selected input mode of the second inertial sensing input control apparatus, a defined combination of at least one pressed key of the second inertial sensing input control apparatus, actuated by a user, and the second inertial sensing parameter generated by the second inertial sensing module;

wherein said plurality of second simulated input modes are selected from the group consisting of a mouse mode, a joystick mode, a keyboard mode, and all combinations of modes thereof;

a receiving end, for receiving the control signals, comprising;

a receiving unit, for receiving the first control signal generated from the first remote control unit and the second control signal generated from the second remote control unit;

an operation unit, coupled to the receiving unit for analyzing the first control signal and the second control signal into an operation signal; and

an interface connecting unit, for transmitting the operation signal to an electronic device;

wherein, the electronic device is a device selected from the group consisting of a computer, an interactive gaming device and an interactive multimedia device.

8. The interactive system of claim 7, wherein the first interface unit is coupled to at least an input unit;

and the input unit is a device selected from the group consisting of a cross key, an assembly of a plurality of press buttons, and the combination thereof.

9. The interactive system of claim 7, wherein the first inertial sensing parameter is integrated by the first remote control unit into the first control signal generated therefrom.

10. The interactive system of claim 7, wherein each inertial sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of at least a gyroscope, at least an accelerometer, and the combination thereof.

11. The interactive system of claim 7, wherein at least the first or second interface unit is electrically connected to the electronic device by a means selected from the group consisting of a wired means and a wireless means;

and the wired means is enabled by an interface selected form the group consisting of a PS/2 interface and an USB interface; and

the wireless means is enabled by a way selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and radio frequency (RF) communication.

12. The interactive system of claim 7, further comprises a third inertial sensing input control apparatus configured in the interactive system, the third inertial sensing input control apparatus is electrically connected with the first inertial sensing input control apparatus and the second inertial sensing input control apparatus.