# US 10,369,466 B2 · Combiner method for altering game gearing

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- Number: US 10,369,466 B2
- Document ID: US10369466B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/628,601
- Filed: 2017-06-20
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2002-07-31
- Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Inventors: Gary M. Zalewski; Richard Marks; Xiadong Mao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369466B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/424: involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
- A63F 13/211: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
- A63F 13/213: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence)
- A63F 13/22: Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
- A63F 13/42: by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
- G06F 3/005: {Input arrangements through a video camera}
- G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)}
- G06F 3/0325: {using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image}
- G06F 3/0346: with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
- G06F 3/038: Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
- A63F 2300/1018: Calibration; Key and button assignment
- A63F 2300/105: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
- A63F 2300/1087: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
- A63F 2300/6045: for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
- G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Computer implemented methods, apparatus and systems for enabling interactive interfacing with a computer game program are provided. One system includes an input device to accept and transmit user input to the computer game program. The system also includes a computing device for executing the computer game having an interactive component that is responsive to the user input. The computing devices is in communication with the input device for receiving and processing the user input. The computer device is also configured to apply a gearing parameter during processing of the user input, wherein the applied gearing parameter defines a scaling ratio between the user input and a rate at which the interactive component responds during execution of the computer game.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for enabling interactive interfacing with a computer game, the system comprising:
an input device for accepting user input during the interactive interfacing with the computer game; and
a computing device for executing the computer game, the computer game having an interactive component that is configured to be responsive to the user input, the computing device being in communication with the input device for receiving the user input and for processing the user input for supporting the interactive interfacing, the computing device configured to apply a gearing parameter during the processing of the user input, the gearing parameter when applied defining a scaling ratio between the user input and a rate at which the interactive component responds during said executing of the computer game, wherein the computing device is configured for dynamically varying the gearing parameter in real time based on activities occurring in the computer game during said executing of the computer game, such that the dynamically varying of the gearing parameter occurs without user command to change the gearing parameter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive component is an object within the computer game and wherein the user input is configured to control an action of the object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the action of the object includes a movement of the object relative to an environment of the computer game.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein said dynamically varying the gearing component is configured to change how sensitively the action reacts in response to the user input.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the object within the computer game is a game element, or a player, or a character, or a vehicle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to dynamically increase or reduce the gearing parameter to assist a user while navigating an environment in the computer game.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the input device accepts the user input based one or more of buttons, dials, and joysticks.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the input device accepts the user input based on motion sensors that detect spatial movement in a physical space.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the applied gearing parameter includes one of a plurality of different scaling ratios to be applied to different interactive components of the computer game.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a first part of said activities occurring in the computer game are configured to increase the gearing parameter while a second part of said activities in the computer game are configured to reduce the gearing parameter.

### Claim 11

A system for enabling interactive interfacing with a computer game, the system comprising:
an image capture device for capturing user movement during the interactive interfacing with the computer game; and
a computing device for executing the computer game, the computer game having an interactive component that is configured to be responsive to the user movement, the computing device is configured for processing the user movement as captured for supporting the interactive interfacing, the computing device is further configured for applying a gearing parameter during said processing of the user movement as captured, the gearing parameter when applied defining a scaling ratio between the user movement and a rate at which the interactive component responds during said executing of the computing game, wherein the computing device is further configured for dynamically varying the gearing parameter in real time based on activities occurring in the computer game during said executing of the computer game, such that the dynamically varying of the gearing parameter occurs without user command to change the gearing parameter.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, further comprising:
a handheld user input device for accepting user input during the interactive interfacing with the computer game,
wherein the user input is scaled during the interactive interfacing with the computer game based on the gearing parameter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the interactive component is an object within the computer game and wherein the user input is configured to control an action of the object.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein said dynamically varying the gearing component is configured to change how sensitively the action reacts in response to the user input.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein a first part of said activities occurring in the computer game is configured to increase the gearing parameter while a second part of said activities occurring in the computer game is configured to reduce the gearing parameter.

### Claim 16

A computing device for enabling interactive interfacing with a computer game, the computing device comprising:
a port for receiving user input from an input device during the interactive interfacing with the computer game;
a memory for storing one or more gearing parameters, each of the one or more gearing parameters defining a scaling ratio between the user input and a rate at which an interactive component responds during the interactive interfacing with the computer game;
a processor for executing the computer game having the interactive component that is configured to be responsive to the user input, the processor configured for processing the user input for supporting the interactive interfacing, the processor further configured for applying one of the one or more gearing parameters during the processing of the user input; and
a graphics processing unit for rendering video images of the interactive component responding to the user input in accordance with the gearing parameter that is being applied, wherein the processor is further configured for dynamically varying the gearing parameter in real time in response to events occurring during the executing of the computer game, such that the dynamically varying of the gearing parameter occurs without user command to change the gearing parameter.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The computing device of claim 16, wherein the user device is a handheld controller and the user input includes a push of a button of the handheld controller, actuating a dial of the handheld controller, or actuating a joystick of the handheld controller.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The computing device of claim 16, wherein the user device is a camera and the user input includes a user movement.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The computing device of claim 16, wherein the interactive component is a controllable object within the computer game and wherein said dynamically varying the gearing component changes how responsive actions of the controllable object are within the computer game to the user input.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The computing device of claim 16, wherein a first portion of said activities occurring in the computer game is configured to increase the gearing parameter while a second portion of said activities occurring in the computer game is configured to reduce the gearing parameter.