Dynamic sensor assignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635202-B1
Application number	US-201816223956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A method including receiving data corresponding to one or more objects in proximity to the controller, determining scores for controller configurations of the controller, ranking the scores of controller configurations, selecting a controller configuration among the controller configurations, and configuring a touch sensor of the controller according to a selected controller configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller comprising:
a touch sensor having capacitive pads;
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving from the touch sensor, capacitance values detected by one or more of the capacitive pads, wherein the capacitance values correspond to one or more objects touching or in proximity to the controller;
determining, for a first controller configuration using the capacitance values, a first variance of capacitance values within individual finger groups of the first controller configuration, wherein the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration include a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinky finger;
determining, for a second controller configuration using the capacitance values, a second variance of capacitance values within individual finger groups of the second controller configuration, wherein the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration include the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky finger;
determining, for the first controller configuration using the capacitance values, a first variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration;
determining, for the second controller configuration using the capacitance values, a second variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration;
determining a first score for the first controller configuration based on the first variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration and the first variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration;
determining a second score for the second controller configuration based on the second variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration and the second variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration;
selecting one of the first controller configuration or the second controller configuration; and
configuring the touch sensor according to the first controller configuration or the second controller configuration.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein configuring the touch sensor comprises:
associating first capacitive pads of the touch sensor with the middle finger;
associating second capacitive pads of the touch sensor with the ring finger; and
associating third capacitive pads of the touch sensor with the pinky finger.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive pads are arranged into at least one of groups, columns, or rows.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform an act further comprising ranking the first score and the second score, and
wherein selecting the first controller configuration or the second controller configuration comprises selecting a highest ranked score among the first score and the second score.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance values comprises first capacitance values, and wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts further comprising:
receiving, from the touch sensor, second capacitance values detected by one or more of the capacitive pads, wherein the second capacitance values correspond to one or more objects touching or in proximity to the controller;
determining, for the first controller configuration using the second capacitance values, a third variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration;
determining, for the second controller configuration using the second capacitance values, a fourth variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration;
determining, for the first controller configuration using the second capacitance values, a third variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration;
determining, for the second controller configuration using the second capacitance values, a fourth variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration;
determining a third score for the first controller configuration based at least in part on the third variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration and the third variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the first controller configuration;
determining a fourth score for the second controller configuration based at least in part on the fourth variance of capacitance values within the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration and the fourth variance of capacitance values between the individual finger groups of the second controller configuration;
selecting one of the first controller configuration or the second controller configuration; and
configuring the touch sensor according to the first controller configuration or the second controller configuration.

6. The controller of claim 5 , wherein the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts further comprising:
determining a running score for the first controller configuration based at least in part on the first score and the third score; and
determining a running score for the second controller configuration based at least in part on the second score and the fourth score.

7. A method, comprising:
receiving, from a touch sensor, data representing capacitance values detected by one or more capacitive pads of the touch sensor;
determining, based at least in part on the data, a first score for a first controller configuration of a controller and a second score for a second controller configuration of the controller, wherein:
the first controller configuration comprises:
a first capacitive pad and a second capacitive pad assigned to a first finger; and
a third capacitive pad and a fourth capacitive pad assigned to a second finger;

determining the first score comprises:
determining a variance in capacitance between the first capacitive pad and the second capacitive pad;
determining a variance in capacitance between the third capacitive pad and the fourth capacitive pad; and
determining a variance in capacitance between a summed capacitance value of the first capacitive pad and the second capacitive pad and a summed capacitance value of the third capacitive pad and the fourth capacitive pad;

the second controller configuration comprises:
a fifth capacitive pad and a sixth capacitive pad assigned to the first finger; and
a seventh capacitive pad and an eighth capacitive pad assigned to the second finger;

determining the second score comprises:
determining a variance in capacitance between the fifth capacitive pad and the sixth capacitive pad;
determining a variance in capacitance between the seventh capacitive pad and the eighth capacitive pad; and
determining a variance in capacitance between a summed capacitance value of the fifth capacitive pad and the sixth capacitive pad and a summed capacitance value of the

Assignees

• Valve Corp

Inventors

• Nietfeld Scott Douglas

Classifications

• A63F13/24 Primary

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/214 Primary

  for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads · CPC title

• A63F13/218

  using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title