Continuous controller calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11806609-B2
Application number	US-202117164475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A method including determining a range of values for a proximity sensor, receiving proximity data from the proximity sensor, decaying a limit associated with a maximum value, decaying a limit associated with a minimum value, determining a range of values detected by the proximity sensor, and determining an updated scale factor for the proximity sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller system comprising:
a controller having a proximity sensor configured to detect an object in proximity to, but not touching, the controller;
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:
determining a range of proximity values detected by the proximity sensor, the range of proximity values including a maximum value and a minimum value;
receiving proximity values from the proximity sensor;
continuously adjusting at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value based at least in part on determining that one or more of the proximity values received from the proximity sensor are outside a threshold range of the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value for a threshold period of time; and
determining an updated range of proximity values detected by the proximity sensor based at least in part on the continuously adjusting.

2. The controller system of claim 1 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value comprises continuously adjusting the maximum value and the minimum value.

3. The controller system of claim 1 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value comprises continuously converging the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value towards the proximity values received from the proximity sensor.

4. The controller system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a handle, and wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in or on the handle.

5. The controller system of claim 1 , wherein the proximity values are received during a previous number of frames, and wherein the acts further comprise determining an average value based on the proximity values received during the previous number of frames, and wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value is based at least in part on the average value.

6. The controller system of claim 5 , wherein the continuously adjusting is based on at least one of:
determining that the average value is greater than the maximum value; or
determining that the average value is less than the minimum value.

7. A method comprising:
determining a range of proximity values detected by a proximity sensor of a controller, the range of proximity of values including a maximum value and a minimum value, and the proximity sensor being configured to detect an object in proximity to, but not touching, the controller;
receiving proximity values from the proximity sensor;
determining a rate at which to continuously adjust at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value;
continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value based at least in part on the rate; and
determining an updated range of proximity values detected by the proximity sensor based at least in part on the continuously adjusting.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the proximity sensor is included in a handle of the controller, and wherein the proximity values received from the proximity sensor correspond to the object in proximity to the handle of the controller.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value comprises continuously converging the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value towards the proximity values received from the proximity sensor.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value comprises continuously adjusting the maximum value and the minimum value.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the determining the rate comprises determining a first rate at which to continuously adjust the maximum value;
the method further comprises determining a second rate at which to continuously adjust the minimum value;
the continuously adjusting the maximum value is based at least in part on the first rate; and
the continuously adjusting the minimum value is based at least in part on the second rate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first rate is determined based at least in part on a variability of the proximity values received during a predetermined number of previous frames; and
the second rate is determined based at least in part on the variability of the proximity values received during the predetermined number of previous frames.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the proximity values are received during a previous number of frames, the method further comprising determining an average value based on the proximity values received during the previous number of frames, and wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value is based at least in part on the average value.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value based at least in part on the average value comprises continuously converging the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value towards the average value.

15. A system comprising:
a controller having a proximity sensor configured to detect an object in proximity to, but not touching, the controller;
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:
determining a range of proximity values associated with the proximity sensor, the range of proximity values including a maximum value and a minimum value;
receiving proximity values from the proximity sensor;
determining a rate at which to continuously adjust at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value;
continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value based at least in part on the rate; and
determining an updated range of proximity values associated with the proximity sensor based at least in part on the continuously adjusting.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the continuously adjusting the at least one of the maximum value or the minimum value comprises continuously adjusting the maximum value and the minimum value.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the continuously adjusting the maximum value is based at least in part on determining that one or more of the proximity values received from the proximity sensor are outside a first threshold range of the maximum value for a threshold period of time; and
the continuously adjusting the minimum value is based at least in part on determining that one or more of the proximity values received from the proximity sensor are outside a second threshold range of the minimum value for the threshold period of time.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the determining the rate comprises determining a first rate at which to continuously adjust the maximum value;
the acts further comprise determining a second rate at which to continuously adjust the minimum value;
the continuously adjusting the maximum value is based at least in part on the first rate; and
the continuously adjusting the minimum value is based at least in part on the second rate.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises a handle, and wherein the proximity sensor is disposed in or on the ha

Assignees

• Valve Corp

Inventors

• Nietfeld Scott Douglas
• Leinbaugh Jeffrey George

Classifications

• A63F13/214 Primary

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

• A63F13/24

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

• A63F13/44

  involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot · CPC title

• G06F3/038

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

• A63F13/218

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