Detachable information handling system game controller management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097185-B2
Application number	US-201916731431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A game controller has first and second controllers detachably coupled to a bridge or an information handling system housing to provide inputs to a gaming application executing on the information handling system, such as from a joystick input device integrated in each controller. Logic stored in non-transitory memory of the information handling system executes to track game controllers based upon unique identifiers retrieved from each controller to the information handling system, such as through a direct coupling of the controllers to the information handling system or indirect communication by the information handling system with a bridge directly coupled to the controllers. The information handling system sets priority for inputs from game controllers based upon controller unique identifiers and also tracks composite game controller assemblies that include controllers and a bridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A game controller comprising:
a controller having a controller housing having a controller attachment structure configured to selectively couple to an information handling system housing and a bridge housing;
a controller processor disposed in the controller housing and operable to execute instructions that process information;
one or more input devices disposed in the controller housing and interfaced with the controller processor to provide inputs made at the one or more input devices to the controller processor;
a wired interface extending from the controller processor to the controller housing to align with an external wired interface when the controller housing selectively couples to the information handling system housing and bridge housing, the wired interface supporting communication of the controller processor with an information handling system processor and bridge processor; and
non-transitory memory storing instructions that when executed on the information handling system processor:
retrieve a controller unique identifier from the controller processor when interfaced with the controller processor through the wired interface;
retrieve the controller unique identifier from a bridge processor when interfaced with the controller processor through the bridge; and
associate an application executing on the information handling system processor with inputs based upon the controller unique identifier.

2. The game controller of claim 1 further comprising:
a bridge having a bridge housing having a bridge attachment structure configured to couple to the controller attachment structure;
a bridge processor disposed in the bridge housing and operable to execute instructions that process information;
a bridge wired interface extending from the bridge processor to the bridge housing to align with the controller wired interface when the controller housing selectively interfaces with the bridge housing, the bridge wired interface supporting communication between the controller processor and bridge processor;
a bridge interface configured to communicate with the information handling system to forward inputs of the one or more input devices received from the controller processor to the information handling system processor; and
instructions stored in the non-transient memory to associate the application with the bridge when the controller housing couples to the bridge.

3. The game controller of claim 2 wherein:
the bridge housing includes first and second bridge attachment structures to couple with first and second controller housings; and
the instructions associate the application with the bridge when either controller of the first and second controller housings has the controller unique identifier.

4. The game controller of claim 3 wherein the instructions detect plural bridges through wireless communication, each of the plural bridges associated with an active or inactive status based upon controller unique identifiers retrieved from the plural bridges.

5. The game controller of claim 4 further comprising:
a cable interface coupled between the bridge housing and the information handling system to communicate inputs of controllers coupled with bridge to the information handling system; and
instructions stored in the non-transient memory to associate the unique controller identifier of at least one of the first and second controllers with a predetermined active status upon detection of the cable interface.

6. The game controller of claim 5 wherein the instructions track assembled game controllers by controller and bridge unique identifier compositions.

7. The game controller of claim 2 wherein:
the instructions detect a direct coupling of the controller and information handling system through the wired interface and in response assigns an active status to the controller by reference to the controller unique identifier; and
the instructions in response to detecting the direct coupling assigns a highest priority to the controller unique identifier.

8. The game controller of claim 7 wherein:
the instructions detect a decoupling of the controller and information handling system at the wired interface and in response pauses the active status; and
the instructions in response to the decoupling performs a wireless scan for a bridge having the controller unique identifier.

9. The game controller of claim 8 wherein:
the instructions in response to detecting a wireless signal from a bridge having the controller unique identifier interfaces with the bridge; and
the instructions in response to the bridge interface unpauses the active status and forwards inputs from the bridge to the application.

10. A method for selecting a game controller to interface with an information handling system, game controller having first and second controllers detachably coupled to a bridge, the method comprising:
detecting at the information handling system a direct coupling of the first controller;
in response to the detecting a direct coupling, retrieving to the information handling system a unique identifier of the first controller;
detecting at the information handling system a decoupling of the first controller from the information handling system; and
in response to the detecting a decoupling, scanning for a bridge having the unique identifier of the first controller.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
coupling the first controller to the bridge;
in response to the coupling the first controller to the bridge, retrieving the first controller unique identifier to the bridge;
in response to the retrieving, communicating from the bridge the first controller unique identifier to the information handling system; and
in response to the communicating, automatically interfacing inputs of the first controller through the bridge to the information handling system.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
maintaining an active status associated with the first controller from the detecting direct coupling; and
pausing the active status from the detecting the decoupling until the automatically interfacing inputs.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the communicating from the bridge further comprises advertising a wireless interface from the bridge that includes the first control unique identifier.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
detecting the first controller coupled to plural different bridges; and
storing at the information handling system plural composite game controller configurations based upon the first controller unique identifier association with the plural different bridges.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
associating the first controller unique identifier with an active status;
pausing the active status in response to the detecting the decoupling;
detecting a user selection of a third controller to accept inputs at the information handling system; and
in response to the detecting the user selection, associating the first controller with an inactive status.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the detecting a user selection comprises detecting a cable interface between the information handling system and a bridge, the bridge coupled to the third controller.

17. A system for managing information handling system game controllers, each game controller having first and second controllers detachably coupled to a bridge or the information handling system, the system comprising:
a processor operable to execute instructions to process information; and
a non-transitory memory inter

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Yildiz Yagiz C
• Seibert Philip M
• Pelissier Gerald R
• Hammons Marc R

Classifications

• A63F13/77

  involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory · CPC title

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• A63F2300/1043

  being characterized by constructional details · CPC title

• A63F13/24 Primary

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

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title