System for associating a wireless device to a console device

• US 9,289,678 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lum, Richard S., Guo, Wei, Gordon, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US11/283,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,777 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 39, 273/148.R, 273/248.B, 446/175, 446454-456
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters

Abstract

Systems and methods for associating a wireless device to a host. The wireless device is associated to the host via a binding and discovery process. The binding process establishes the association. A unique identifier and other binding information is provided to the wireless device, which is stored in the wireless device to establish the link to the console. The binding information is retained in the wireless device. The discovery process enables the wireless device to join a session at hosted by the host. The host sends broadcast packets that are compared to the stored information in the wireless device. The broadcast packets are validated and authenticated to complete the discovery process. A visual indicator on the host and/or controller may indicate the success or failure of either the binding or discovery process.

Claims

1. A game controller, comprising:

a wireless radio;

a user input to establish wireless communication with a console, actuation of said user input beginning a binding process to associate said game controller to said console;

a visual indicator; and

a memory configured to store a console unique identifier and frequency hopping information that is provided to the game controller during said binding process to enable said controller to establish a communication link with the console,

said console unique identifier being used to bind said game controller with said console, and said console unique identifier and said frequency hopping information being retained in said memory of the game controller when power is lost from and then restored to the game controller such that the wireless radio of the game controller is not required to re-bind with the console when power is restored, said console unique identifier being associated with said frequency hopping information,

the game controller further configured to perform a discovery process that occurs after said binding process and that associates the controller with one of a plurality of virtual controller ports on the console.

2. The game controller of claim 1, wherein said binding process comprises selecting a frequency hopping channel, providing said game controller said console unique identifier, and waiting for a broadcast packet.

3. The game controller of claim 2, wherein upon receipt of said broadcast packet, said game controller exchanges binding packets with said console.

4. The game controller of claim 3, wherein said visual indicator is illuminated to indicate a status of said binding process.

5. The game controller of claim 4, wherein said game controller captures a broadcast packet from said console and correlates a console unique identifier in said broadcast packet to said console unique identifier stored in said game controller.

6. The game controller of claim 5, wherein said game controller includes a retry mechanism to retry said discovery process if said broadcast packet is not received within a predetermined period of time, said retry mechanism retrying a predetermined number of times.

7. The game controller of claim 5, wherein said game controller authenticates the broadcast packets received from said console.

8. The game controller of claim 7, wherein said game controller indicates said discovery process is complete by illuminating said visual indicator.

9. A method of associating a wireless device with a console, comprising:

binding said wireless device to said console;

providing said wireless device a console unique identifier and frequency hopping information during said binding process to enable said wireless device to establish a communication link with the console, said console unique identifier and said frequency hopping information being stored in a non-volatile memory of said wireless device and being used to bind said wireless device to said console, said console unique identifier and said frequency hopping information being retained in said non-volatile memory of said wireless device when power is lost from and then restored to the wireless device such that the wireless device is not required to re-bind with the console when power is restored, said console unique identifier being associated with said frequency hopping information; and

discovering said wireless device after said binding occurs, said discovering comprising associating said wireless device with one of a plurality of virtual controller ports on the console.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising exchanging binding packets between said wireless device and said console.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising retrying said discovering if a broadcast packet is not received within a predetermined period of time, said retrying being performed a predetermined number of times.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said wireless device indicates a success or failure of said binding or said discovering by illuminating a visual indicator.

13. A method of associating a wireless game controller to a gaming console, comprising:

actuating a connection process;

performing a binding process to associate said wireless game controller to said gaming console in a one-to-one relationship;

storing in a memory of said wireless game controller, a console unique identifier and frequency hopping information which are provided during said binding to enable said wireless game controller to establish a communication link with the console,

said console unique identifier and said frequency hopping information being retained in the memory of said wireless game controller when power is lost from and then restored to the wireless game controller such that the wireless game controller is not required to re-bind with the gaming console when power is restored, said console unique identifier being associated with said frequency hopping information;

and performing a discovery process that occurs after said binding process to join said wireless game controller to a game session, said discovery process comprising associating said wireless game controller with one of a plurality of virtual controller ports on the gaming console.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining said one-to-one relationship in said wireless game controller using the console unique identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising retrying said discovery process if a broadcast packet is not received within a predetermined period of time, said retrying being performed a predetermined number of times.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

capturing a broadcast packet from said console; and

correlating a console unique identifier in said broadcast packet to the console unique identifier stored in said wireless game controller.