Variable actuators of an accessory and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10675532-B2
Application number	US-201816192852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a processor that performs operations including receiving an actuation profile comprising one or more actuation thresholds responsive to a detection of a triggering event during a gaming session of a video game, configuring the sensor according to the one or more actuation thresholds, receiving, from the sensor, a signal indicating a depression range of the button, comparing the depression range to the one or more actuation thresholds of the actuation profile, and generating an actuation state when the depression range exceeds an actuation threshold of the one or more actuation thresholds. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
monitoring, by a system comprising a processor, a first triggering event during a gaming session of a video game;
responsive to detecting the first triggering event, selecting, by the system, a first actuation profile comprising one or more first actuation thresholds associated with a button of an accessory device, wherein the first actuation profile is selected according to the first triggering event;
associating, by the system, the first actuation profile with the button of the accessory device;
receiving, by the system, a first signal from an electro-mechanical sensor of the accessory device indicating a first depression range of the button;
comparing, by the system, the first depression range to the one or more first actuation thresholds of the first actuation profile;
generating, by the system, a first actuation state when the first depression range exceeds a first actuation threshold of the one or more first actuation thresholds;
associating, by the system, a second actuation profile with the button of the accessory device, wherein the second actuation profile comprises one or more second actuation thresholds associated with the button of the accessory device;
receiving, by the system, a second signal from the electro-mechanical sensor of the accessory device indicating a second depression range of the button, wherein the second depression range triggering a second actuation state exceeds the first depression range triggering the first actuation state;
comparing, by the system, the second depression range to the one or more second actuation thresholds of the second actuation profile; and
generating, by the system, a second actuation state when the second depression range exceeds a second actuation threshold of the one or more second actuation thresholds.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first triggering event comprises a gear used by an avatar in the video game, a change in health of the avatar, detected speech, an environment condition encountered by the avatar, a transition between detectable states in the video game, one or more sounds in the video game, or any combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the system, first data associated with the first actuation state to a computing device executing the video game, wherein the first data causes a first gaming action performed by the video game.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising generating, by the system, a second actuation state when a second depression range of the button exceeds a second actuation threshold of the one or more first actuation thresholds.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising sending, by the system, second data associated with the second actuation state to the computing device executing the video game, wherein the second data causes a second gaming action performed by the video game, wherein the first gaming action differs from the second gaming action.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to detecting a second triggering event, selecting, by the system, the second actuation profile comprising the one or more second actuation thresholds associated with the button, wherein the second actuation profile is selected according to the second triggering event.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, by the system, initiation of a software application controllable by the accessory device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising
responsive to detecting initiation of the software application, selecting, by the system, the second actuation profile comprising the one or more second actuation thresholds associated with the button of the accessory device, wherein the second actuation profile is selected according to the software application.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the system, data associated with the second actuation state to a computing device executing a software application, wherein the data causes an action performed by the software application.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting, by the system, at a display, the one or more second actuation thresholds being configured according to user-generated input.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising
assigning, by the system, the one or more second actuation thresholds to the second actuation profile.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the display is located at the accessory device, at the system, or at a computing device executing the video game.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring a displacement rate of depression of the button; and
adjusting the one or more first actuation thresholds of the first actuation profile based on the displacement rate of depression of the button resulting in an updated first actuation profile.

14. A machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor performs operations, the operations comprising:
monitoring, by a system comprising a processor, a triggering event during a gaming session of a video game;
responsive to detecting the triggering event, selecting, by the system, a first actuation profile comprising a plurality of first actuation thresholds associated with a plurality of buttons of an accessory device, wherein the first actuation profile is selected according to the triggering event;
associating, by the system, the first actuation profile with the plurality of buttons of the accessory device;
associating, by the system, a second actuation profile with the plurality of buttons of the accessory device, wherein the second actuation profile comprises a plurality of second actuation thresholds associated with the plurality of buttons of the accessory device;
receiving, by the system, a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors of the plurality of buttons of the accessory device indicating a plurality of depression ranges of the plurality of buttons, wherein a second depression range of the plurality of depression ranges that triggers a second actuation state exceeds a first depression range of the plurality of depression ranges that triggers the first actuation state;
comparing, by the system, the plurality of depression ranges to the plurality of first actuation thresholds of the first actuation profile and to the plurality of second actuation thresholds of the second actuation profile;
generating, by the system, a first actuation state when the first depression range of the plurality of depression ranges exceeds the first actuation threshold of the plurality of first actuation thresholds; and
generating, by the system, a second actuation state when the second depression range of the plurality of depression ranges exceeds the second actuation threshold of the plurality of second actuation thresholds.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 14 , further comprising sending, by the system, data associated with the plurality of signals to a computing device executing the video game, wherein the video game comprises a three-dimensional (3D) video game, wherein the 3D video game shows a simulated rendition of the accessory device with a plurality of simulated fingers placed on the plurality of buttons of the accessory device, and wherein placement of the plurality of simulated fingers on the plurality of buttons of the accessory device is determined according to the data.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining an adjustment of the plurality of first actuati

Assignees

• Steelseries Aps

Inventors

• Soelberg Tino
• Mahlmeister Jeffrey Nicholas
• Woidan Thane Kurt
• Panfil Thomas J

Classifications

• H01F7/0273

  Magnetic circuits with PM for magnetic field generation · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/023

  Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes · CPC title

• G06F13/102

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title