Game controller and controlling method thereof

• US 8,376,850 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Chen-Ter, Lai, Yen-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US12/543,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 4, 463/7, 463/36, 463/37, 463/47, 463/49, 273/148.R, 273/148.B, 273/440, 273/454
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/428 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 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad

Abstract

A game controller includes a housing, a number of press sensors and touch sensors, and a main circuit embedded in the housing powered by a battery. The main circuit includes a collecting module, a comparing module and a controlling module. The press sensors detects pressure from the housing and outputting a number of pressure signals. The touch sensors detects a plurality of touch signals. The collecting module collects and combines the pressure signals and the touch signals into a first positioning signal and a second positioning signal correspondingly. The comparing module predetermines a number of preset signal values and a number of preset pitches correspondingly and compares the first and second positioning signals with the preset signal values. The controlling module triggers one of the preset pitches when the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal are equal to the preset signal values.

Claims

1. A game controller for controlling a game console, comprising:

a housing comprising a first region and a second region;

a main circuit embedded in the housing and powered by a battery; and

a plurality of press sensors spreading under the second region and configured for detecting pressure from the second region and outputting a plurality of pressure signals;

a plurality of touch sensors embedded under the first region and configured for detecting a plurality of touch signals from the first region;

a collecting module configured for collecting the pressure signals and the touch signals from the press sensors and the touch sensors correspondingly, and combining the pressure signals into a first positioning signal and the touch signals into a second positioning signal;

a comparing module predetermining a plurality of preset signal values and a plurality of preset pitches corresponding to the preset signal values and configured for comparing the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal with the preset signal values one by one; and

a controlling module configured for controlling the game console to trigger one of the preset pitches to be started when each of the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal are equal to the preset signal values.

2. The game controller in claim 1, wherein the first region is made of leather material, while the second region is a seam and made of elastic material.

3. The game controller in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a strap fixed to the first region and configured for being hung on a user'"'"'s wrist for limiting the thrown pitch distance of the game controller.

4. The game controller in claim 3, wherein the press sensors are assigned with a plurality of first identifiers, the touch sensors are assigned with a plurality of second identifiers, respectively.

5. The game controller in claim 4, wherein a first analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter) is connected between the press sensors and the collecting module, the press sensors are configured for transmitting the pressure signals to the first A/D converter according to the order of the first identifiers correspondingly, and the first A/D converter is configured for converting each of the pressure signals into a digital signal and transmitting the digital signals to the collecting module one by one.

6. The game controller in claim 4, wherein a second analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter) is connected between the touch sensor and the collecting module, the touch sensors are configured for transmitting the touch signals to the second A/D converter according to the order of the second identifiers correspondingly, and the second A/D converter is configured for converting each of the touch signals into a digital signal and transmitting the digital signals to the collecting module.

7. The game controller in claim 5, wherein the first A/D converter outputs a signal “

1”

when one of the press sensor senses the pressure, otherwise outputs a signal “

0”

when the press sensor does not sense any pressure, and the first positioning signal is composed of a number of signals “

1” and

signals “

0”

.

8. The game controller in claim 6, wherein the touch sensors are capacitance type sensors.

9. The game controller in claim 8, wherein the second A/D converter outputs a signal “

1”

when the capacitance of the touch sensor changes, otherwise outputs a signal “

0”

when the capacitance of the touch sensor does not change, and the second positioning signal is composed of a number of signals “

1” and

signals “

0”

.

10. The game controller in claim 1, wherein when one of the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal is not equal to the preset signal values, the comparing module continues to compare the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal with the rest of the preset signal values.

11. The game controller in claim 1, wherein the main circuit further comprises a naming program module for renaming the preset pitch according to user input.

12. The game controller in claim 1, further comprising an acceleration transducer embedded in the housing and a gyroscope disposed in the center of the housing.

13. The game controller in claim 12, wherein the acceleration transducer calculates an acceleration of the game controller according to a composition of forces applied on the housing and driving the baseball in the game with such acceleration.

14. The game controller in claim 12, wherein the gyroscope senses a rotary speed of the game controller.

15. The game controller in claim 1, being baseball-shaped.

16. A controlling method for a game controller with a number of press sensors and a number of touch sensors comprising the following steps:

detecting pressure via the press sensors and outputting a plurality of pressure signals, and

detecting a plurality of touch signals via the touch sensors;

collecting the pressure signals from the press sensors and the touch signals from the touch sensors correspondingly, and combining the pressure signals into a first positioning signal and the touch signals into a second positioning signal;

predetermining a plurality of preset signal values and a plurality of preset pitches corresponding to the preset signal values and comparing the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal with the preset signal values one by one;

triggering one of the preset pitches to be started when each of the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal are equal to the preset signal values.

17. The controlling method in claim 16, wherein the press sensors are assigned with a plurality of first identifiers, the touch sensors are assigned with a plurality of second identifiers, respectively.

18. The controlling method in claim 17, wherein a first analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter) is connected to the press sensors, and the method further comprises:

the press sensors transmitting the pressure signals to the first A/D converter according to the order of the first identifiers correspondingly, and the first A/D converter converting each of the pressure signals into a digital signal.

19. The controlling method in claim 17, wherein a second A/D converter is connected to the touch sensor, and the method further comprises:

the touch sensors transmitting the touch signals to the second A/D converter according to the order of the second identifiers correspondingly, and the second A/D converter converting each of the touch signals into a digital signal.

20. The controlling method in claim 16, wherein when one of the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal is not equal to the preset signal values, the method further comprises:

continuing to compare the first positioning signal and the second positioning signal with the rest of the preset signal values.