Touch screen game controller

• US 9,227,141 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Justice, John Raymond, Karamfilov, Krassimir Emilov, Toll, Roderick Michael, Mays, Eddie Louis III
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US14/145,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150182856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 463/37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention allow a touch screen device to operate as a gamepad for a video game running on a separate gaming device. Aspects of the present invention provide a virtual control interface through the touch screen that includes virtual game controls that perform the same function as a directional pad, buttons, triggers, and sticks found on a gamepad or other game controller. In one aspect, the virtual control interface provides an output that is substantially similar to an output generated by a gamepad able to interact with the gaming device. Substantially similar outputs allow a gaming device to respond to a functional control from a gamepad and an equivalent functional control from the virtual control interface the same way and without translation. Aspects of the present invention can provide different virtual control interfaces for different video game titles, different genres, and based on user customization.

Claims

1. A method for using a touch screen computing device to control a video game, the method comprising:

determining, based on a characteristic of the video game, a video game genre for the video game;

selecting, from a plurality of available genre specific virtual control interfaces that each include different combinations of virtual game controls, a virtual control interface that is optimized for use with the video game genre;

outputting for display on a touch screen device'"'"'s touch screen a virtual control interface, which comprises a plurality of virtual game controls adapted to control the video game;

receiving through the touch screen an interaction on a virtual game control within the virtual control interface, wherein the virtual game control corresponds to a gamepad control;

generating a control signal that comprises a functional instruction that is able to be interpreted by the video game as equivalent to an instruction received from a gamepad when the gamepad control is activated; and

outputting the control signal to the video game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the genre is first person or third-person shooter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the interaction is an implement interacting with the touch screen at a first point within the virtual game control and then being dragged a distance across the touch screen to a second point outside of the virtual game control, wherein the distance establishes a rate of fire.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interaction is an implement touching a point anywhere within a virtual steering control and then moving a distance to a second point on the touch screen, the distance correlated to a degree of turn.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the genre is car racing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction is an implement moving a distance across the touch screen from a first point within the virtual game control to a second point outside of the virtual game control, and wherein the gamepad control is repeatedly pushing a button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the interaction, outputting for display on the touch screen a visual indicia that communicates the virtual game control was manipulated, wherein the visual indicia comprises changing a perimeter of the touch screen to match a color of the virtual game control.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a touch through a touch interface located on a side opposite to the touch screen;

generating a different control signal that comprises a different function instruction that is usable by the gaming device to manipulate the video game; and

outputting the different control signal wirelessly.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch interface is a keyboard.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving an initial interaction at a location on the virtual control interface and dynamically locating the virtual game control at the location.

11. A touchscreen computing device comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen display; and

computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, implement a method for using the touch screen computing device to control a video game, the method comprising;

(1) determining, based on a characteristic of the video game, a video game genre for the video game;

(2) selecting, from a plurality of available genre specific virtual control interfaces that each include different combinations of virtual game controls, a virtual control interface that is optimized for use with the video game genre;

(3) outputting for display on a touch screen device'"'"'s touch screen a virtual control interface, which comprises a plurality of virtual game controls adapted to control the video game;

(4) receiving through the touch screen an interaction on a virtual game control within the virtual control interface, wherein the virtual game control corresponds to a gamepad control;

(5) generating a control signal that comprises a functional instruction that is able to be interpreted by the video game as equivalent to an instruction received from a gamepad when the gamepad control is activated; and

(6) outputting the control signal to the video game.

12. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the genre is first person or third-person shooter interaction is a swipe gesture starting within the virtual game control, and wherein the gamepad control is a button.

13. The touchscreen computing device of claim 12, wherein the interaction is an implement interacting with the touch screen at a first point within the virtual game control and then being dragged a distance across the touch screen to a second point outside of the virtual game control, wherein the distance establishes a rate of fire.

14. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the genre is car racing.

15. The touchscreen computing device of claim 14, wherein the interaction is an implement touching a point anywhere within a virtual steering control and then moving a distance to a second point on the touch screen, the distance correlated to a degree of turn.

16. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the interaction is an implement moving a distance across the touch screen from a first point within the virtual game control to a second point outside of the virtual game control, and wherein the gamepad control is repeatedly pushing a button.

17. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the interaction, outputting for display on the touch screen a visual indicia that communicates the virtual game control was manipulated, wherein the visual indicia comprises changing a perimeter of the touch screen to match a color of the virtual game control,

an orientation of buttons within the virtual control interface is different from an orientation of corresponding buttons on the gamepad.

18. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a touch through a touch interface located on a side opposite to the touch screen;

generating a different control signal that comprises a different function instruction that is usable by the gaming device to manipulate the video game; and

outputting the different control signal wirelessly.

19. The touchscreen computing device of claim 18, wherein the touch interface is a keyboard.

20. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the virtual game control is displayed with an annotation describing how to interact with the virtual game control.

21. The touchscreen computing device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving an initial interaction at a location on the virtual control interface and dynamically locating the virtual game control at the location.