Apparatus and method for managing peripheral device communications

• US 9,504,910 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Original Assignee: Steelseries Aps
• Inventors: Aronzon, Michael, Hawver, Bruce, Rom, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/026,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 36- 37, 463 38- 39, 463 42- 43, 463/47
• 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 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first peripheral device having a controller to store operational settings tailored for a gaming application, interact with the gaming application using the operational settings and user inputs, and share the operational settings with a second peripheral device for use with the gaming application. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer device comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

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

presenting a graphical user interface for receiving user selections for combining selected operational inputs from a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device to define a combined action in a video game application;

transmitting an operational setting to the first peripheral device to enable the first peripheral device to transmit the operational setting to the second peripheral device;

receiving first operational inputs from the first peripheral device, wherein the first operational inputs correspond to a first stimulation that is captured at the first peripheral device, and wherein the first peripheral device converts the first stimulation into the first operational inputs according to a sequence of prior stimulations that is recorded by the first peripheral device as a macro command;

receiving second operational inputs from the second peripheral device, wherein the second operation inputs comprise second stimulations that are captured at the second peripheral device, and wherein the second peripheral device converts the second stimulations into second operational inputs in accordance with the operational setting that is transmitted to the second peripheral device;

determining whether the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs that are received are directed to control a same action of the video game application;

responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control the same action;

selecting one of the first operational inputs or the second operational inputs for controlling the same action according to a priority setting; and

generating control signals according to the one of the first operational inputs or the second operational inputs that are selected for controlling the same action of a graphical representation of a player in the video game application;

determining whether the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs that are received are directed to control the combined action that is defined; and

responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control the combined action, generating control signals for controlling the combined action of the graphical representation of the player in the video game application.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device each comprise one of a mouse, a joystick, a gaming pad, and a gaming console controller.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device are communicatively coupled via a wireless interface.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the wireless interface comprise a protocol associated with one of WiFi, —

Infrared, RFID, or wireless USB.

5. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising transmitting operational parameters from the first peripheral device to the second peripheral device.

6. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising receiving the operational parameters of the first peripheral device from a server that is remote from the first peripheral device.

7. The computer device of claim 6, wherein the server is remote from a console that hosts the video game application.

8. A first peripheral device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

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

receiving an operational setting from a computer device;

transmitting the operational setting that is received to a second peripheral device;

capturing a sequence of stimulations;

storing a macro command according to the sequence of stimulations;

receiving a first stimulation that is associated with the macro command;

generating first operational inputs according to the macro command responsive to receiving the first stimulation;

receiving second operational inputs from the first peripheral device according to operational parameters and corresponding to second stimulations captured at the second peripheral device; and

transmitting the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs to a computer device for controlling a graphical representation of a player in a video gaming application, wherein the computer device selects one of the first operational inputs or the second operational inputs for controlling a same action of the graphical representation of the player in the video game application according to a priority setting responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control the same action,

wherein the computer device receives user selections for combining selected operational inputs from a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device via a graphical user interface to define a combined action in the video game application, and

wherein the computer device generates control signals for controlling the combined action of the graphical representation of the player in the video game application responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control the combined action.

9. The first peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising generating the operational parameters.

10. The first peripheral device of claim 9, wherein the operational parameters are generated using a graphical user interface presented by the computer device that hosts the video gaming application.

11. The first peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising receiving the operational parameters from a server that is remote from the computer device that hosts the video gaming application.

12. The first peripheral device of claim 8, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising wirelessly transmitting the operational parameters to the second peripheral device.

13. The first peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the operational parameters are wirelessly transmitted using one of a plurality of communication protocols.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, user selections for combining selected operational inputs from a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device to define a combined action in a video game application;

receiving, by the system, operational parameters from a server that is remote from the system;

transmitting, by the system, the operational parameters to the first peripheral device, wherein the first peripheral device transmits the operational parameters that are received to the second peripheral device;

receiving, by the system, first operational inputs from the first peripheral device, wherein the first operational inputs correspond to a first stimulation that is captured at the first peripheral device, wherein the first peripheral device converts the first stimulation into the first operational inputs according to a sequence of prior stimulations that is recorded by the first peripheral device as a macro command;

receiving, by the system, second operational inputs from the first peripheral device, wherein the second operation inputs correspond to second stimulations captured at a second peripheral device and transmitted to the first peripheral device based on the operational parameters that are received at the second peripheral device from the first peripheral device;

responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control a same action of a video gaming application;

selecting, by the system, one of the first operational inputs or the second operational input for controlling the same action of the video gaming application according to a priority setting; and

generating, by the system and according to the operational parameters, control signals for controlling the same action of a graphical representation of a player in the video gaming application based on the one of the first operational inputs or the second operational inputs that are selected according to the priority setting; and

responsive to determining that the first operational inputs and the second operational inputs are directed to control the combined action, generating control signals for controlling the combined action of the graphical representation of the player in the video game application.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the system, the operational parameters at the first peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device each comprise one of a mouse, a joystick, a gaming pad, or a gaming console controller.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting, by the system, the operational parameters from the first peripheral device to the second peripheral device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring, by the system, the operational parameters from the first peripheral device to the second peripheral device using a removable memory device that directly and selectively connects to the second peripheral device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising adapting, by the system, the operational parameters at the first peripheral device using a graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the operational parameters received from the server are generated at the server using a graphical user interface.