Proximity sensor apparatus for a game device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A proximity sensing apparatus comprising:
- a device housing;
a plurality of energy emitters attached to the device housing such that each energy emitter emits energy to a different area outside the device housing than any other of the energy emitters;
a single energy detector attached to the device housing;
a reflector attached to the device housing and positioned such that emitted energy reflected back towards the device housing by one or more objects subsequently deflects off the reflector towards the single energy detector; and
a controller system operably coupled to the energy emitters and the single energy detector, the controller system configured to selectively activate the energy emitters, receive data from the single energy detector, and process the received data to determine a position of the one or more objects.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A proximity sensing apparatus includes a device housing, a plurality of energy emitters, an energy detector, a reflective member, and a controller system. The proximity sensing apparatus channels reflected energy to the energy detector and determines the location of the source of reflection. The channeling of energy to the energy detector may reduce manufacturing costs by utilizing less hardware while maintaining a high level of reliability.
49 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A proximity sensing apparatus comprising:
-
a device housing; a plurality of energy emitters attached to the device housing such that each energy emitter emits energy to a different area outside the device housing than any other of the energy emitters; a single energy detector attached to the device housing; a reflector attached to the device housing and positioned such that emitted energy reflected back towards the device housing by one or more objects subsequently deflects off the reflector towards the single energy detector; and a controller system operably coupled to the energy emitters and the single energy detector, the controller system configured to selectively activate the energy emitters, receive data from the single energy detector, and process the received data to determine a position of the one or more objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A game kit comprising:
-
a game kit housing; a plurality of energy emitters attached to the game kit housing such that each energy emitter emits energy to a different area outside the game kit housing; a single energy detector attached to the game kit housing; a reflector attached to the game kit housing and positioned such that emitted energy reflected back towards the game kit housing by one or more objects subsequently deflects off the reflector towards the single energy detector; and a controller system operably coupled to the energy emitters and the single energy detector, the controller system configured to selectively activate the energy emitters, receive data from the single energy detector, and process the received data to determine a position of the one or more objects.
-
-
17. A method of sensing proximity using a proximity sensing apparatus, the method comprising:
-
sending energy signals from energy emitters located around a reflective member on a device housing, wherein each of the energy emitters sends one or more of the energy signals to a different sector of space around the device housing at different times, such that the energy emitters sequentially send the energy signals radially outward away from the reflector; deflecting at least one energy signal of the energy signals with the reflective member subsequent to the at least one energy signal being reflected back toward the housing by an object in the space; receiving the at least one energy signal with a single energy detector subsequent to the deflecting; processing data associated with the at least one energy signal received by the single energy detector with a controller system; and producing feedback based on the processed data. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification