Control of electronic games via finger angle using a high dimensional touchpad (HDTP) touch user interface

• US 8,169,414 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NRI R&D Patent Licensing, LLC (Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lester F. Ludwig
• Inventors: Lim, Seung E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimnhung
• Application Number:
  US12/511,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 463 36- 39, 178 1801- 1804
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 21/00 Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A high dimensional touchpad (HDTP) controls a variety of game aspects by detecting a user'"'"'s finger movement in the left-right, forward-backward, roll, pitch, yaw, and downward pressure directions. One or more of the detected finger movements are used to control games on game devices, computers, and mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electronic game, the method comprising:

configuring a user interface touchpad to be responsive to at least one angle of contact with at least one finger, the finger belonging to a human user of a computing device and the user interface touchpad in communication with an operating system of the computing device;

measuring at least one change in at least one angle of the position of the finger with respect to the surface of the touchpad and producing measured data;

performing real-time calculations on the measured data to produce a measured-angle value; and

using the measured-angle value to control the value of at least one user interface parameter of the electronic game,

wherein at least one aspect of the electronic game changes responsive to the angle of the position of the finger with respect to the surface of the touchpad.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game simulates shooting a weapon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game simulates hitting a ball.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game simulates throwing a ball.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game simulates skiing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game simulates snowboarding.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic game comprises flight simulation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic game simulates operation of a vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic game simulates performance of a musical instrument.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one finger angle comprises the pitch of the finger with respect to the touchpad.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one finger angle comprises the roll of the finger with respect to the touchpad.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one finger angle comprises the yaw of the finger with respect to the touchpad.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface touchpad is further configured to be responsive to combined gestures comprising at least changes in two finger angles.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface touchpad is further configured to be responsive to simultaneous changes in at least two finger angles.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface touchpad is configured to be responsive to heave gestures comprising changes to pressure applied by the finger to the touchpad.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface touchpad is operated as a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is comprised by a mobile device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed of the change of the finger angle is further used to control an aspect of the electronic game.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one finger angle is used in a natural metaphor to an aspect of the electronic game.