Scheme for translating movements of a hand-held controller into inputs for a system

• US 9,381,424 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary, Marks, Richard, Mao, Xiadong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/004,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36- 39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/428 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 2250/52 with a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method for use in providing input to a system that includes the steps of determining position information for a controller for the system, comparing the determined position information for the controller with predetermined position information associated with commands, and providing a command to the system if the determined position information matches predetermined position information for the command.

Claims

1. A method for use in providing input to a system, comprising the steps of:

determining position information for a controller for the system, wherein the determining position information comprises mixing tracking information from different sources comprising mixing at least two different ones of inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, wherein the mixing comprises applying different weightings to at least two of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information;

comparing, through one or more processors of the system, the determined position information for the controller with predetermined position information associated with commands and determining, based on the comparing, whether a plurality of physical movements of the controller determined from the position information correspond to a pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information; and

providing, through at least one of the one or more processors of the system, a command to the system when the plurality of movements determined from the determined position information matches the pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information mapped to the command;

wherein the step of determining the position information for the controller comprises receiving on an image plane of a camera a projection of a geometric shape established on the controller and analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of applying different weightings comprises the step of:

applying the different weightings as defined by a particular game title being played back to the at least two of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information and dynamically adjusting the different weightings as defined by the particular game title as needs of the particular game title change based on game environment changes over a course of playback of the particular game title.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising the step of:

identifying a gesture based on a relationship between the determined position information of the controller and the predetermined position information, and identifying the command corresponding to the gesture; and

generating an interrupt for the system if the determined position information matches predetermined position information for the command.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the step of comparing comprises the step of:

determining whether the determined position information for the controller falls within certain ranges associated with the predetermined position information associated with commands.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

identifying a quality of at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, wherein the identifying the quality comprises recognizing that data reflects corrupt data;

wherein the applying different weightings comprises dynamically adjusting the weightings as a result of the identified quality of the at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information and as a result of a built historical knowledge base of when data is of value in a current environment.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

averaging one or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information after the applying the different weightings providing a weighted average input control data set and subsequently analyzing the weighted average input control data set.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

compensating for drift error associated with an inertial sensor of the controller that provides at least some of the inertial tracking information, wherein the compensating for the drift error comprises re-setting a current determined position of the controller in the position information to a position determined from an image obtained from an image capture unit positioned so that the controller is viewable by the image capture unit.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

changing the mapping of the pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information to one or more different commands in response to changes in a game environment over a course of playback of a particular game title.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of:

evaluating the position information relative to a set noise level; and

determining, based on the evaluation of the position information relative to the set noise level, whether an amount of movement is within a tolerance of the noise level in detecting jitter movement by a user of the controller.

10. A method for use in providing input to a system, comprising the steps of:

determining position information for a controller for the system, wherein the determining position information comprises mixing tracking information from different sources comprising mixing at least two different ones of inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, wherein the mixing comprises applying different weightings to at least two of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information;

comparing, through one or more processors of the system, the determined position information for the controller with predetermined position information associated with commands and determining, based on the comparing, whether a plurality of physical movements of the controller determined from the position information correspond to a pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information;

providing, through at least one of the one or more processors of the system, a command to the system when the plurality of movements determined from the determined position information matches the pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information mapped to the command; and

identifying a quality of at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information;

wherein the applying different weightings comprises dynamically adjusting the weightings as a result of the identified quality of the at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information; and

wherein the determining the position information for the controller comprises receiving a projection of a geometric shape established on the controller and analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of:

generating an interrupt for the system if the determined position information matches predetermined position information for the command.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of comparing comprises the step of:

determining whether the determined position information for the controller falls within certain ranges associated with the predetermined position information associated with commands.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the step of applying the different weightings comprises assigning appropriate distribution weights to each of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, and averaging the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information in conjunction with that weights to arrive at a weighted average.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium for embodying a computer program for input to a computer and a computer program embodied in the storage medium for causing the computer to perform steps of:

determining position information for a controller for a system, wherein the determining position information comprises mixing tracking information from different sources comprising mixing at least two different ones of inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, where the mixing comprises applying different weightings to at least two of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information;

comparing the determined position information for the controller with predetermined position information associated with commands and determining, based on the comparing, whether a plurality of physical movements of the controller determined from the position information correspond to a pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information; and

providing a command to the system when the plurality of movements determined from the determined position information matches the pattern of predefined movements corresponding with the predetermined position information mapped to the command;

wherein the step of determining position information for the controller comprises receiving on an image plane of a camera a projection of a geometric shape established on the controller and analyzing movements and deformities in the projection of the geometric shape.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 14, wherein the step of applying the different weightings comprises the step of:

applying the different weightings as defined by a particular game title being played back to the at least two of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information.

16. A computer program product in accordance with claim 14, wherein the computer program is further configured for causing the computer to perform the step of:

identifying a quality of at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information, wherein the identifying the quality comprises recognizing that data reflects corrupt data;

wherein the applying different weightings comprises dynamically adjusting the weightings as a result of the identified quality of the at least one of the at least two or more of the inertial tracking information, image tracking information, and acoustic tracking information.

17. A computer program product in accordance with claim 16, wherein the computer program is further configured for causing the computer to perform the step of:

generating an interrupt for the system if the determined position information matches predetermined position information for the command.

18. A computer program product in accordance with claim 17, wherein the step of comparing comprises the step of:

determining whether the determined position information for the controller falls within certain ranges associated with the predetermined position information associated with commands.