Universal controller help on a multimedia system

• US 20050243093A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Macauley, James David, Whitten, Jon Marcus Randall
• Application Number:
  US10/836,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20050243093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A system architecture within a multimedia console having a host application that provides information to a user related to a configuration of a controller of a multimedia application with which user is currently interacting A system application residing in the memory and running concurrently with a multimedia application receives a request to display the active controller configuration and displays a graphical representation of the active configuration. The configuration may be stored in a user profile and retrieved or applied to all similar types of applications.

Claims

1. A multimedia console, comprising:

a central processing unit;

a graphics processing unit;

a memory; and

an input device;

wherein a system application residing in said memory and running concurrently with a multimedia application sets a configuration of said input device and reports the configuration to said multimedia application, and in response to an input, said system application displays the configuration of said input device as a graphical image.

2. The multimedia console of claim 1, wherein said system application reads a user profile and modifies the configuration in accordance with said user profile.

3. The multimedia console of claim 2, wherein said system application updates a mapping of said input device, and stores said updated mapping in said user profile.

4. The multimedia console of claim 3, wherein said updated mapping is applied to multimedia applications similar to said multimedia application executing on said multimedia console.

5. The multimedia console of claim 1, wherein said system application updates a mapping of said input device;

and

updating said graphical image in response to updating the mapping of said input device.

6. The multimedia console of claim 1, wherein said system application determines a type of multimedia application executing on said multimedia console and retrieves said configuration for said input device from a user profile based on said type of multimedia application.

7. The multimedia console of claim 6, wherein said system application reconfigures a mapping of said input device in accordance with an input, and stores said mapping in said user profile.

8. In a multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a memory, and an input device, a method of providing configuration information of a controller for use with a multimedia application during the execution of said multimedia application, comprising:

setting a configuration of the controller;

reporting the configuration to said multimedia application; and

in response to an input, displaying the configuration of said controller as a graphical image during the execution of said multimedia application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

reading a user profile; and

modifying the configuration in accordance with said user profile.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating a mapping of said controller; and

storing said updated mapping in said user profile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said updated mapping is applied to multimedia applications similar to said multimedia application executing on said multimedia console.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

updating a mapping of said controller; and

updating said graphical image in response to updating the mapping of said controller.

13. The method of claim 8, said setting the configuration of the controller comprising determining a type of multimedia application executing on said multimedia console;

and

retrieving said configuration for said controller from a user profile based on said type of multimedia application.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

reconfiguring a mapping of said controller; and

storing said mapping in said user profile.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for instructing a multimedia device to perform the steps of:

setting a configuration of the controller;

reporting the configuration to said multimedia application; and

in response to an input, displaying the configuration of said controller as a graphical image during the execution of said multimedia application.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for performing:

reading a user profile; and

modifying the configuration in accordance with said user profile.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for performing:

updating a mapping of said controller; and

storing said updated mapping in said user profile.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said updated mapping is applied to multimedia applications similar to said multimedia application executing on said multimedia console.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for performing:

updating a mapping of said controller; and

updating said graphical image in response to updating the mapping of said controller.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, said setting the configuration of the controller comprising instructions for determining a type of multimedia application executing on said multimedia console;

and

retrieving said configuration for said controller from a user profile based on said type of multimedia application.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions for performing:

reconfiguring a mapping of said controller; and

storing said mapping in said user profile.