Center device

• US 9,884,255 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hino, Mariko, Hashimoto, Satoshi, Kutaragi, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US15/393,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20170106289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 469 29, 463 29, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8088 involving concurrently several players in a non-networked game, e.g. on the same game console
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 : based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for: communicating with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users; controlling a display for displaying a menu of one or more controller identifiers which are related to the one or more controller devices, respectively, and which are selectable from the menu by the one or more users; storing relation information between one or more user identifiers, which are related to the one or more users, respectively, and the one or more controller identifiers that are selected; carrying out operation inputs transmitted from the selected one or more controller devices as instruction operations for the related one or more user identifiers that correspond to the selected one or more controller identifiers; executing at least one application program and producing an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with the operation inputs; and identifying, from among the stored relation information, one of the user identifiers that corresponds with one of the controller devices when a connection of the one of the controller devices is changed from the wired connection to the wireless connection.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a network interface operating to communicate with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users;

circuitry configured to control a display for displaying a menu of one or more controller identifiers which are related to the one or more controller devices, respectively, and which are selectable from the menu by the one or more users;

circuitry configured to store relation information between one or more user identifiers, which are related to the one or more users, respectively, and the one or more controller identifiers that are selected;

circuitry configured to carry out operation inputs transmitted from the selected one or more controller devices as instruction operations for the related one or more user identifiers that correspond to the selected one or more controller identifiers;

circuitry configured to execute at least one application program and to produce an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with the operation inputs; and

circuitry configured to identify, from among the stored relation information, one of the user identifiers that corresponds with one of the controller devices when a connection of the one of the controller devices is changed from the wired connection to the wireless connection.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry configured to control the display for displaying a menu for querying the one or more users to enter at least one of the one or more user identifiers and receiving the at least one of the one or more user identifiers.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry configured to:

(i) identify, from among the stored relation information, another one of the user identifiers that corresponds with another one of the controller devices when a connection of the other one of the controller devices is made to the network interface; and

(ii) produce a message for the display containing the other one of the user identifiers corresponding with the other one of the controller devices.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising circuitry configured to output one or more light emission controls to the one or more controller devices, wherein the one or more controller devices each include one or more light emitters that respond to the one or more light emission controls.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more light emission controls cause the one or more light emitters of the one or more controller devices to emit light differently as a function of different ones of the one or more controller identifiers.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an operational communication section containing circuitry configured to implement the network interface;

a control section containing a microprocessor executing one or more software programs for carrying out one or more of;

the circuitry configured to carry out operation inputs, the circuitry configured to execute, and the circuitry configured to identify;

a display section containing the circuitry configured to control the display;

a memory section containing at least some of the circuitry configured to store the relation information; and

an external memory section containing at least some of the circuitry configured to store the relation information.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operational communication section includes:

(i) a wired connector section containing the circuitry configured to implement the communication with the one or more controller devices via the wired communication; and

(ii) a radio communication section containing the circuitry configured to implement the communication with the one or more controller devices via the wireless communication.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry configured to implement the wired communication of the wired connector section includes circuitry configured to carry out communications via a universal serial bus (USB).

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry configured to implement the wireless communication of the radio communication section includes circuitry configured to carry out communications via Bluetooth.

10. A method, comprising:

communicating with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users;

controlling a display for displaying a menu of one or more controller identifiers which are related to the one or more controller devices, respectively, and which are selectable from the menu by the one or more users;

storing relation information between one or more user identifiers, which are related to the one or more users, respectively, and the one or more controller identifiers that are selected;

carrying out operation inputs transmitted from the selected one or more controller devices as instruction operations for the related one or more user identifiers that correspond to the selected one or more controller identifiers;

executing at least one application program and producing an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with the operation inputs; and

identifying, from among the stored relation information, one of the user identifiers that corresponds with one of the controller devices when a connection of the one of the controller devices is changed from the wired connection to the wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the display for displaying a menu for querying the one or more users to enter at least one of the one or more user identifiers and receiving the at least one of the one or more user identifiers.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying, from among the stored relation information, another one of the user identifiers that corresponds with another one of the controller devices when a connection of the other one of the controller devices is made to the network interface; and

producing a message for the display containing the other one of the user identifiers corresponding with the other one of the controller devices.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting one or more light emission controls to the one or more controller devices, wherein the one or more controller devices each include one or more light emitters that respond to the one or more light emission controls.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more light emission controls cause the one or more light emitters of the one or more controller devices to emit light differently as a function of different ones of the one or more controller identifiers.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the wired communication includes communicating via a universal serial bus (USB).

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication includes communicating via Bluetooth.

17. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising:

communicating with one or more controller devices operated by one or more users, respectively, via wired communication or wireless communication selected by the one or more users;

controlling a display for displaying a menu of one or more controller identifiers which are related to the one or more controller devices, respectively, and which are selectable from the menu by the one or more users;

storing relation information between one or more user identifiers, which are related to the one or more users, respectively, and the one or more controller identifiers that are selected;

carrying out operation inputs transmitted from the selected one or more controller devices as instruction operations for the related one or more user identifiers that correspond to the selected one or more controller identifiers;

executing at least one application program and producing an output for display that is manipulated in accordance with the operation inputs; and

identifying, from among the stored relation information, one of the user identifiers that corresponds with one of the controller devices when a connection of the one of the controller devices is changed from the wired connection to the wireless connection.

18. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising controlling the display for displaying a menu for querying the one or more users to enter at least one of the one or more user identifiers and receiving the at least one of the one or more user identifiers.

19. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying, from among the stored relation information, another one of the user identifiers that corresponds with another one of the controller devices when a connection of the other one of the controller devices is made to the network interface; and

producing a message for the display containing the other one of the user identifiers corresponding with the other one of the controller devices.

20. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising outputting one or more light emission controls to the one or more controller devices, wherein the one or more controller devices each include one or more light emitters that respond to the one or more light emission controls.

21. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more light emission controls cause the one or more light emitters of the one or more controller devices to emit light differently as a function of different ones of the one or more controller identifiers.

22. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the wired communication includes communicating via a universal serial bus (USB).

23. The non-transitory, computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the wireless communication includes communicating via Bluetooth.