Dynamically enabling or disabling controls of a controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023143009-A1
Application number	US-202217991092-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2022
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	May 11, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A handheld controller may include controls that are actuatable by a user. The handheld controller may further include one or more sensors that are configured to detect an object in proximity to certain controls, and/or that sense a grip or position of a hand on a handle portion of the controller. Based on data from a sensor(s), certain controls may be enabled and/or disabled. The sensors may therefore be used to determine which controls are being used or are intended to be used, and/or which controls are likely accessible or inaccessible to the user based on sensor data, and to cause one or more controls of the handheld controller to be enabled and/or disabled accordingly.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A controller system comprising:
one or more processors; a controller comprising:
a controller body having a handle portion;
one or more sensors disposed on or in the handle portion; and
a control; and
non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, from the one or more sensors, data indicating a position of a hand on the handle portion; and
causing the control to be disabled based at least in part on the data.

3 . The controller system of claim 2 , wherein the data is first data, the position is a first position, and the acts further comprise:
receiving, from the one or more sensors, after the control has been disabled, second data indicating a second position of the hand on the handle portion; and causing the control to be enabled based at least in part on the second data.

4 . The controller system of claim 3 , wherein the control is a first control, the controller further comprises a second control, and the acts further comprise causing the second control to be disabled based at least in part on the second data.

5 . The controller system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise an array of sensors spatially distributed across the handle portion.

6 . The controller system of claim 5 , wherein:
the control is a first control; the controller further comprises a second control; and the data indicates that the hand is in proximity to a subset of the sensors in the array, the subset being associated with the second control.

7 . The controller system of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller body has a front surface; and the control is positioned on the front surface.

8 . The controller system of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller body has a top edge and a bottom edge; the control is a first control positioned at a first distance from the top edge; the controller further comprises a second control positioned at a second distance from the top edge, the second distance less than the first distance; the data indicates that the position of the hand on the handle portion is closer to the top edge than the bottom edge.

9 . The controller system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors are disposed under an outer surface of the controller body.

10 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, data from one or more sensors disposed on or in a handle portion of a controller body of a controller, the data indicating a position of a hand on the handle portion; and causing, by the processor, a control of the controller to be disabled based at least in part on the data.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the data is first data, the position is a first position, and the method further comprises:
receiving, by the processor, after the control has been disabled, second data from the one or more sensors, the second data indicating a second position of the hand on the handle portion; and causing, by the processor, the control to be enabled based at least in part on the second data.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the control is a first control, and the method further comprises causing, by the processor, a second control of the controller to be disabled based at least in part on the second data.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the processor receives the data and causes the control to be disabled while the controller is being used to play a video game.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise an array of sensors spatially distributed across the handle portion.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller body has a top edge and a bottom edge; the control is a first control positioned at a first distance from the top edge; the controller has a second control positioned at a second distance from the top edge, the second distance greater than the first distance. the data indicates that the position of the hand on the handle portion is closer to the bottom edge than the top edge.

16 . A controller system comprising:
one or more processors; a controller comprising:
a controller body having a handle portion;
a first control;
one or more first sensors disposed on or in the handle portion, the one or more first sensors being associated with the first control;
a second control; and
one or more second sensors disposed on or in the handle portion, the one or more second sensors being associated with the second control; and
non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, from the one or more first sensors, data indicating that a hand is in proximity to the one or more first sensors; and
causing the second control to be disabled based at least in part on the data.

17 . The controller system of claim 16 , wherein the data is first data, and the acts further comprise:
receiving, from the one or more second sensors, after the second control has been disabled, second data indicating that the hand is in proximity to the one or more second sensors; and causing the second control to be enabled based at least in part on the second data.

18 . The controller system of claim 17 , wherein the acts further comprise causing the first control to be disabled based at least in part on the second data.

19 . The controller system of claim 16 , wherein:
the controller body has a top edge and a bottom edge; the first control is positioned at a first distance from the top edge; the second control is positioned at a second distance from the top edge, the second distance greater than the first distance; and the data indicates that a position of the hand on the handle portion is closer to the top edge than the bottom edge.

20 . The controller system of claim 16 , wherein the controller comprises an array of sensors spatially distributed across the handle portion, the array of sensors including at least the one or more first sensors and the one or more second sensors.

21 . The controller system of claim 16 , wherein:
the controller further comprises a display; and the handle portion is one of two handle portions of the controller body on opposing sides of the display.

Assignees

• Valve Corp

Inventors

• Vanwyk Eric Judson
• Petersen Walter
• Ikeda John
• Collette Benoit
• Karstens Richard

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

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• A63F13/218 Primary

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

• A63F13/98

  Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers · CPC title