Apparatus and method for generating data signals

• US 20060125785A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gametronics LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Blue ORB Incorporated
• Inventors: McAlindon, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• 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: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A handheld device having a main body and at least one button integral with the main body for causing generation of electrical signals. A pair of thumb controllers may be integral with the main body and positioned so that a user holding the device may tactilely engage each of the thumb controllers. A pair of sensing means may be operatively connected with the thumb controllers to generate an electrical signal in response to the user'"'"'s tactile engagement with the thumb controllers. The signals may be resolved by a processor to determine an alphanumeric character to be generated. The signals may also be resolved with a signal generate by movement of the button to determine a state change to be generated in a video game so a user may interact with the video game. An electrical signal indicative of the video game state change may be generated and transmitted to a processing device executing the video game.

Claims

1. ) An handheld device comprising:

a main body;

at least one button integral with the main body, the at least one button having a state for causing generation of electrical signals, the state selected from the group of a binary state, a discrete state and a continuously variable state;

a pair of thumb controllers integral with the main body and positioned so that each of the pair of thumb controllers may be tactilely engaged with a respective thumb of a user holding the handheld device;

a pair of sensing means operatively connected with respective ones of the pair of thumb controllers whereby each of the pair of sensing means will generate an electrical signal in response to the user'"'"'s tactile engagement with a respective one of the pair of thumb controllers;

a processing module programmed with means for resolving a first electrical signal generated from a first one of the pair of sensing means and a second electrical signal generated from a second one of the pair of sensing means to determine an alphanumeric character to be generated;

a means for generating an electronic data signal indicative of the alphanumeric character;

the processing module further programmed with means for resolving the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal with an electrical signal generated by tactile engagement with the at least one button to determine a state change to be generated in a video game;

a means for generating an electrical signal indicative of the video game state change; and

a means for transmitting the electrical signal indicative of the video game state change from the handheld device whereby the electrical signal may be received by a receiving device for interaction with the video game.

2. ) The handheld device of claim 1, the pair of sensing means comprising a first joystick and a second joystick wherein at least one of the first and second joysticks will generate electrical signals in response to the respective joystick being moved axially.

3. ) The handheld device of claim 2 wherein the processing module is programmed with means for resolving at least one of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal with a third electrical signal generated in response to a joystick being moved axially to determine an executable function to be performed by the receiving device.

4. ) The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising:

a processing module programmed with means for switching between an alphanumeric character generation mode, a mouse navigation mode and a gaming mode.

5. ) The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising:

a first template proximate a left thumb controller, the first template comprising indicia instructive to the user with respect to generating an alphanumeric character in response to tactilely engaging the left thumb controller; and

a second template proximate a right thumb controller, the second template comprising indicia instructive to the user with respect to generating the alphanumeric character in response to tactilely engaging the right thumb controller.

6. ) The handheld device of claim 1, a first one of the pair of thumb controllers comprising an axially movable sensor and a plurality of independently controllable keys.

7. ) The handheld device of claim 6, a second one of the pair of thumb controllers comprising an axially movable sensor and a plurality of independently controllable keys.

8. ) The handheld device of claim 7 wherein the plurality of independently controllable keys of the first one of the thumb controllers are color-coded with a plurality of alphanumeric characters affixed proximate a perimeter of the second one of the thumb controllers.

9. ) The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a unitary faceplate containing indicia of a first color-coded template and a second color-coded template that are maintained in a predetermined orientation with respect to the pair of thumb controllers when the unitary faceplate is affixed to the handheld device.

10. ) A handheld device comprising:

a main body;

a local display integral with the main body;

a pair of thumb controllers integral with the main body and positioned so that each of the pair of thumb controllers may be tactilely engaged with a respective thumb of a user holding the handheld device;

a pair of sensing means operatively connected with respective ones of the pair of thumb controllers whereby each of the pair of sensing means will generate electrical signals in response to the user'"'"'s tactile engagement with a respective one of the pair of thumb controllers;

a processing module programmed with means for resolving a first electrical signal generated from a first one of the pair of sensing means and a second electrical signal generated from a second one of the pair of sensing means to determine an alphanumeric character to be generated; and

a means for generating a first data signal indicative of the alphanumeric character for transmission from the handheld device to a remote device.

11. ) The handheld device of claim 10, the processing module further programmed with means for producing a graphical depiction of the alphanumeric character on the integrated local display.

12. ) An apparatus for generating data signals, the apparatus comprising:

a main body;

a first wired connection interface for connecting the main body with a handheld device;

a second wired connection interface for connecting the main body with a processing device;

a processing module integral to the main body programmed with means for receiving and modifying electronic signals from the handheld device and the processing device; and

a plurality of signaling lights integrated within the main body to provide status information.

13. ) The apparatus of claim 12, the handheld device comprising a video game controller and the processing device comprising a video game console.

14. ) The apparatus of claim 12, the processing module further programmed with mean for resolving a first reference position associated with a first signal and a second reference position associated with a second signal, the first and second reference signals generated by a means integral to the handheld device for a user to tactilely generate the first signal and the second signal.

15. ) The apparatus of claim 14, the processing module further programmed with means for associating at least one of the first reference position and the second reference position with an alphanumeric character and generating a data signal indicative of the alphanumeric character.

16. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the processing module further programmed with means for switching the apparatus between a text generation mode, a mouse navigation mode and a gaming mode.

17. ) The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a left template and a right template containing color-coded indicia affixed to the handheld device.

18. ) The device of claim 12 further comprising a single faceplate containing a left template and a right template having color-coded indicia thereon that may be removably affixed to the handheld device to maintain a predetermined orientation of the left and right templates with respect to each other and to a first and a second controller of the handheld device.