System and method for distributing user interface device configurations

• US 9,455,877 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• 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:
  US14/874,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 one or more portable devices, wherein the peripheral device settings are generated from user selections associated with a graphical user interface presented by a first computing device, wherein the peripheral device settings configure an operation of the one or more portable devices according to one or more user preferences identified by the user selections, wherein the user selections include selection of a video game, and wherein the peripheral device settings are based on the video game selected;

storing, by the system, the peripheral device settings in a memory, wherein the memory is remote from the one or more portable devices and 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, wherein the providing of the peripheral device settings enables a user to play the video game selected utilizing the peripheral device settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is initiated by a portable device of the one or more portable devices.

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the peripheral device settings is to a second computing device that enables configuration of a portable device of the one or more portable devices according to the peripheral device settings.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are remote from each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video game is hosted by a host server.

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

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

9. A portable device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

providing signals to a first computing device, wherein the signals are associated with peripheral device settings for user interaction with the portable device to control a software program; and

providing the peripheral device settings via the first computing device over a network to a system to enable the system to store the peripheral device settings and to cause the system to provide the peripheral device settings to one or more portable devices responsive to a request received from the one or more portable 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, wherein the user input includes user selections made according to a graphical user interface presented by the first computing device, wherein the user selections include selection of the software program, and wherein the peripheral device settings are based on the software program selected, and wherein the peripheral device settings configure an operation of the one or more portable devices according to one or more user preferences identified by the user selections.

10. The portable device of claim 9, wherein the portable device comprises an accessory for controlling the software program.

11. The portable device of claim 9, wherein the peripheral device settings comprise a navigation configuration, a pointer speed configuration, or a combination thereof.

12. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface;

receiving user selections including selection of a software program from a group of software programs;

generating first peripheral device settings according to the user selections; and

providing the first peripheral device settings over a network to a system, wherein the first peripheral device settings are configured for use by one or more portable devices, 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 one or more portable devices, 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 one or more portable devices, wherein the peripheral device settings are based on the software program selected, and wherein the first peripheral device settings configure an operation of the at least one of the one or more portable devices according to one or more user preferences identified by the user selections.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the user selections are associated with the graphical user interface.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface presents the group of software programs and enables selection of the software program from the group of software programs.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the group of software programs are video games.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, 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 a portable device of the one or more portable devices.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the reconfiguration of the portable device enables a user to play the video game selected utilizing the first peripheral device settings on the portable device.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the video game selected is hosted by a host server over the network.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving second peripheral device settings for use by a portable device of the one or more portable devices.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise configuring the portable device according to the second peripheral device settings.