Music video game and guitar-like game controller

• US 8,827,806 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: McCauley, Jack J., Bright, Brian, Devecka, John
• Primary Examiner(s): GARNER, WERNER G
• Application Number:
  US12/124,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20090291756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 38
• US Class Current: 463/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• 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 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• 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 2300/8047 : Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 : involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 : Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 : for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 : Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091

Abstract

A music video game provides a guitar shaped video game controller with an analog control device with touch sensor. In some embodiments the analog control device is in the form of a touch sensitive pad on a neck of a guitar shaped video game compeller. In some embodiments, the analog control device may resemble additional buttons on a neck of a guitar shaped video game controller. The analog control device may be used to simulate various techniques which may be performed on strings of a guitar.

Claims

1. A guitar shaped video game controller including an analog control device, comprising:

a recessed surface molded into an exterior face of a surface of a neck of the guitar shaped video game controller, the recessed surface including at least one position marker to divide the recessed surface into a plurality of regions; and

a printed circuit board with a touch sensor attached to an interior face of the surface opposite the recessed surface;

wherein the printed circuit board detects contact made in the recessed surface; and

wherein control circuitry of the guitar shaped video game controller generates an input signal recognizable by an associated video game console as values of an axis of a control stick of a default controller, the input signal corresponding to a position of contact made on the recessed surface.

2. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions are separated by tactile lines running across the recessed surface.

3. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor on the printed circuit board is an electric field proximity sensor.

4. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor on the printed circuit board is a resistive based touch sensor.

5. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor on the printed circuit board is a capacitive touch sensor.

6. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor on the printed circuit board is a radio frequency based touch sensor.

7. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the printed circuit board are substantially similar to the dimensions of the recessed surface.

8. The guitar shaped video game controller of claim 1, further comprising a sliding actuator for contacting the recessed surface.