System and method for distributing user interface device configurations

• US 9,184,990 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Wolff-Petersen, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US14/638,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system having a controller to collect a plurality of User Interface (UI) device configurations, receive a request from a computing device to download one or more of the plurality of UI device configurations, and transmit to the computing device the one or more UI device configurations requested to configure one or more UI devices of the computing device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a system including a processor, peripheral device settings over a network, wherein the peripheral device settings are configured for use by a peripheral device, wherein the peripheral device is a portable device that is separate from and configured for communication with a first computing device via at least one of a hardwire connection or a wireless connection;

storing, by the system, the peripheral device settings in a memory, wherein the memory is remote from the first computing device;

receiving, by the system, a request over the network for the peripheral device settings; and

providing, by the system, the peripheral device settings over the network responsive to the request to enable a user to utilize the peripheral device settings, wherein the peripheral device settings are received from the first computing device via user selections in a graphical user interface presented by the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface enables selection of a software program from among a group of software programs, and wherein a generation of the peripheral device settings is based on the software program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the peripheral device settings is to a second computing device that enables configuration of the peripheral device according to the peripheral device settings.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second computing devices are remote from each other, wherein the providing of the peripheral device settings to the second computing device enable the user to play a video game utilizing the peripheral device settings.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the video game is hosted by a host server over the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device settings comprise macros.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device settings are received from the first computing device via user selections in a graphical user interface presented by the first computing device in an Internet browser, wherein the graphical user interface enables generating multiple configurations for the peripheral device, and wherein each of the multiple configurations is associated with a different configuration profile.

8. A peripheral device comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory, wherein the processor responsive to executing the instructions performs operations comprising;

providing signals via at least one of a hardwire or wireless connection to a first computing device, wherein the signals are associated with peripheral device settings for user interaction with the peripheral device to control a software program; and

providing the peripheral device settings via the first computing device over a network to a system including a server to cause the system to store the peripheral device settings and to cause the system to provide the peripheral device settings to one of the first computing device or a second computing device responsive to a request received from the one of the first or second computing devices to enable a user to utilize the peripheral device settings, wherein the peripheral device settings are selected according to user input received by the first computing device, and wherein the user input includes selections made according to a graphical user interface presented by the first computing device.

9. The peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device settings comprise a navigation button configuration, a selection speed configuration, a selection lock configuration, a pointer selection configuration, a pointer speed configuration, a snap configuration, an accelerometer configuration, or combinations thereof.

10. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor of a first computing device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface; and

providing, via the graphical user interface, first peripheral device settings over a network to a system including a server, wherein the first peripheral device settings are configured for use by a first peripheral device, wherein the first peripheral device is a portable device that is separate from and configured for communication with the first computing device via at least one of a hardwire connection or a wireless connection, wherein the providing of the first peripheral device settings to the system causes the system to store the first peripheral device settings in a memory remote from the first computing device, and wherein the providing of the first peripheral device settings to the system causes the system to selectively enable access to the first peripheral device settings for reconfiguration of at least one of the first peripheral device or a second peripheral device.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the first peripheral device settings are generated via user selections in the graphical user interface.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface presents a group of software programs and enables selection of a software program from among the group of software programs.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the first peripheral device settings are generated via user selections in the graphical user interface and are based in part on the selection of the software program.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the providing of the first peripheral device settings to the system causes the system to selectively enable access to the first peripheral device settings for reconfiguration of the first peripheral device via a second computing device.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the first and second computing devices are remote from each other, and wherein providing of the peripheral device settings by the system to the second computing device enables a user to play a video game utilizing the first peripheral device settings on the first peripheral device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the video game is hosted by a host server over the network.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via the graphical user interface, a settings selection based on user input; and

responsive to the settings selection, receiving second peripheral device settings over the network from the system, wherein the second peripheral device settings are configured for use by the first peripheral device.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise re-configuring the first peripheral device according to the second peripheral device settings.