Sensor mapping

• US 8,957,852 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aplix IP Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aplix IP Holdings Corporation
• Inventors: Podoloff, Rob, Calnan, Paul William III, Chen, Elaine, Marcus, Beth
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US13/619,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345/173, 345/419, 345/174, 345/168, 345/169, 702/191, 710/14, 348/59
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

Techniques, systems and computer program products are disclosed for providing sensor mapping. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input from a user. The received input includes at least one of motion, force and contact. In addition, a sensor signal is generated based on the received input. From a choice of data structures a data structure associated with a selected application having one or more functions is identified. The data structure indicates a relationship between the generated sensor signal and the one or more functions of the selected application. The generated sensor signal is selectively mapped into a control signal for controlling the one or more functions of the selected application by using the identified data structure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input from a user at an input device, wherein the received input includes at least one of motion, force, and contact;

generating a sensor signal based on the received input;

selecting from a choice of data structures based on the input device a data structure associated with a selected application having one or more functions, wherein the selected data structure indicates a relationship between the generated sensor signal and the one or more functions of the selected application; and

selectively mapping the generated sensor signal to a control signal for controlling the one or more functions of the selected application based on the selected data structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a joystick and at least one other input device type.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a trackball and at least one other input device type.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a thumbstick and at least one other input device type.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a D-Pad and at least one other input device type.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a motion sensor and at least one other input device type.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a 6 degrees of freedom input device and at least one other input device type.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the choice of data structures includes at least one data structure that can be represented as a zoned mapping curve including respective curve shapes for respective zones of the mapping curve.

9. A system comprising:

a sensor mapping module configured to communicate with a sensor component of an input device, the sensor component being configured to receive input from a user and generate a sensor signal based on the received input, the received input including at least one of motion, force and contact;

wherein the sensor mapping module is configured to;

receive a data structure selected from a choice of data structures that indicates a relationship between the generated sensor signal and one or more functions of a selected application; and

selectively convert the generated sensor signal into a control signal to control the one or more functions of the selected application using the received data structure;

a data storage component coupled to communicate with the sensor mapping module, wherein the data storage component is operable to store the choice of data structures to be forwarded to the sensor mapping module; and

a selector component coupled to communicate with the selected application and the data storage component, wherein the selector component is configured to;

select a data structure from the choice of data structures stored in the data storage component based on a type of the input device; and

forward the selected data structure to the sensor mapping module to use in converting the sensor signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor mapping module and the data storage component are disposed on the input device;

and the selector component is disposed on a host device separate from the input device, wherein the selector component is configured to communicate with the storage device over a wired or wireless communication medium to select the data structure from the choice of data structures.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an input device; and

a host device to communicate with the input device;

wherein the sensor mapping module is disposed within the input device, and the data storage component and the selector component are disposed within the host device separate from the input device; and

the sensor mapping module is configured to communicate with the storage device over a wired or wireless communication medium to receive the selected data structure.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an input device; and

a host device to communicate with the input device;

wherein;

the sensor component is disposed on the input device;

the sensor mapping module, the data storage component and the selector component are disposed within the host device; and

the sensor mapping module is configured to communicate with the sensor component over a wired or wireless communication medium to receive the sensor signal.

13. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from a user at an input device, wherein the received input includes at least one of motion, force, and contact;

generating a sensor signal based on the received input;

selecting from a choice of data structures based on the input device a data structure associated with a selected application having one or more functions, wherein the selected data structure indicates a relationship between the generated sensor signal and the one or more functions of the selected application; and

selectively mapping the generated sensor signal to a control signal for controlling the one or more functions of the selected application based on the selected data structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a joystick and at least one other input device type.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a trackball and at least one other input device type.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a thumbstick and at least one other input device type.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a D-Pad and at least one other input device type.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a motion sensor and at least one other input device type.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein a type of the input device is selected from a group including a 6 degrees of freedom input device and at least one other input device type.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the choice of data structures includes at least one data structure that can be represented as a zoned mapping curve including respective curve shapes for respective zones of the mapping curve.