Audio, video, simulation, and user interface paradigms

• US 10,376,785 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hernandez-Abrego, Gustavo, Menendez-Pidal, Xavier, Osman, Steven, Chen, Ruxin, Deshpande, Rishi, Michaud-Wideman, Care, Marks, Richard, Larsen, Eric J., Mao, Xiaodong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villena, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/199,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20160310847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/04 Training, enrolment or model building

Abstract

Consumer electronic devices have been developed with enormous information processing capabilities, high quality audio and video outputs, large amounts of memory, and may also include wired and/or wireless networking capabilities. Additionally, relatively unsophisticated and inexpensive sensors, such as microphones, video camera, GPS or other position sensors, when coupled with devices having these enhanced capabilities, can be used to detect subtle features about users and their environments. A variety of audio, video, simulation and user interface paradigms have been developed to utilize the enhanced capabilities of these devices. These paradigms can be used separately or together in any combination. One paradigm automatically creating user identities using speaker identification. Another paradigm includes a control button with 3-axis pressure sensitivity for use with game controllers and other input devices.

Claims

1. A wireless game controller, comprising:

a button configured to receive a player input to a video game hosted on a game console;

a first sensor coupled with the button and configured to provide a first control signal in response to first pressure along a first axis, the first pressure sensed by the first sensor from the player input at the button;

a second sensor coupled with the button and configured to provide a second control signal in response to second pressure along a second axis, the second pressure sensed by the second sensor from the player input at the button;

a third sensor coupled with the button and configured to provide a third control signal in response to third pressure along a third axis, the third pressure sensed by the third sensor from the player input at the button;

a fourth sensor configured to sense a holding of the wireless game controller by a player and to trigger the wireless game controller to power on in response to sensing the holding; and

a data communications interface configured to provide the first control signal, the second control signal, and the third control signal to the game console, wherein the first control signal, the second control signal, and the third control signal cause the game console to translate the player input at the button to a control action in the video game.

2. The wireless game controller of claim 1, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are pressure sensors arranged within the wireless game controller along X, Y, and Z axes, respectively.

3. The wireless game controller of claim 2, wherein the button comprises a visual marking indicating a three axis control.

4. The wireless game controller of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises an analog sensor, and wherein the first control signal comprises an analog signal proportional to the first pressure.

5. The wireless game controller of claim 1, wherein the control action comprises three dimensional control within the video game based on the first control signal, the second control signal, and the third control signal.

6. The wireless game controller of claim 1, wherein the wireless game controller comprises a second button coupled with a fifth sensor, wherein the fifth sensor is selected from a group of a digital sensor and a one axis analog sensor, wherein the fifth sensor is configured to provide a one dimensional control signal in response to a second player input at the second button, and wherein the control action is further based on the one dimensional control signal.

7. The wireless game controller of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third sensor is directly connected to the button and is configured to sense respective pressure along both directions of respective axis.

8. A video game system, comprising:

a wireless game controller comprising;

a button configured to receive a player input to a video game,

a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors coupled with the button and configured to generate a different control signal in response to the player input at the button, wherein different control signals of the plurality of sensors correspond to different pressures sensed along at least three dimensional axes,

an additional sensor configured to sense a holding of the wireless game controller by a player and to trigger the wireless game controller to power on in response to sensing the holding, and

a data communications interface configured to send the different control signals of the plurality of sensors to a game console; and

the game console configured to host the video game, receive the different control signals, and generate a control action from the different control signals, the control action corresponding to the player input.

9. The video game system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

a first sensor coupled with the button and configured to provide a first control signal in response to first pressure along a first axis, the first pressure sensed by the first sensor in response to the player input at the button; and

a second sensor coupled with the button and configured to provide a second control signal in response to second pressure along a second axis, the second pressure sensed by the second sensor in response to the player input at the button.

10. The video game system of claim 9, wherein the first sensor comprises a first pressure sensor, wherein the second sensor comprises a second pressure sensor, and wherein the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are arranged within the wireless game controller along different axes.

11. The video game system of claim 8, wherein the button is connected with the plurality of sensors, wherein a first sensor is an X-axis pressure sensor, wherein a second sensor is a Y-Axis pressure sensor, and wherein a third sensor is a Z-axis pressure sensor.

12. The video game system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises pressure sensors arranged along the three dimensional axes of the wireless game controller, and wherein the control action comprises three dimensional control within the video game in response to the player input at the button.

13. The video game system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises analog sensors, and wherein the different control signals are proportional to amounts of pressure sensed by the analog sensors.

14. The video game system of claim 13, wherein the control action is a multi-dimensional control action based on the amounts of pressure.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

sensing, by a wireless game controller, a holding of the wireless game controller by a player;

powering on, by the wireless game controller, a plurality of sensors in response to the holding being sensed, wherein the plurality of sensors are coupled with a button of the wireless game controller;

receiving, by the wireless game controller, a player input at the button of the wireless game controller, the player input associated with a control action in a video game hosted on a game console, the button coupled with a plurality of sensors;

generating, by the wireless game controller, different control signals in response to the player input, each control signal generated based on a pressure sensed by a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors in response to the player input at the button, and the different control signals corresponding to different pressures sensed along at least three dimensional axes; and

sending, by the wireless game controller, the different control signals to the game console, the different control signals causing the game console to generate the control action in the video game.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the control action comprises three dimensional control within the video game in response to the player input at the button.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the different control signals are proportional to amounts of pressure sensed along the three dimensional axes, and wherein the control action comprises a multi-dimensional control action based on the amounts of pressure.