# US 10,946,271 B2 · Controlling data processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,946,271 B2 - Document ID: US10946271B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/283,961 - Filed: 2019-02-25 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-26 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Inventors: Richard James Forster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946271B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/211: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes - A63F 13/235: using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet - A63F 13/213: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence) - A63F 13/24: Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - 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 3/0383: {Signal control means within the pointing device} - 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 A control apparatus includes two or more user control devices, each user control device having an inertial detector having a wireless communications module to communicate inertial detection results, and an illuminated portion; and a housing to house the two or more control devices so that the two or more control devices are constrained to move with one another but having an obscured portion so as to obscure all but one of the illuminated portions of the two or more control devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control apparatus comprising: two or more user control devices, each user control device having an inertial detector having a wireless communications module to communicate inertial detection results, and an illuminated portion; and a housing to house the two or more control devices so that the two or more control devices are constrained to move with one another but having an obscured portion so as to obscure all but one of the illuminated portions of the two or more control devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A control apparatus according to claim 1, in which each control device comprises an elongate handle portion which houses the inertial detector and an illuminated end portion at an end of the handle portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A control apparatus according to claim 2, in which the housing comprises a generally tubular housing inside which the two or more control devices are mountable adjacently in a lengthwise direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A control apparatus according to claim 3, in which the housing is formed of a non-transparent or translucent material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising stabiliser apparatus associated with the housing to inhibit rotation of the long axis of the housing. ### Claim 6 A data processing system comprising: a control comprising: (i) two or more user control devices, each user control device having an inertial detector having a wireless communications module to communicate inertial detection results, and an illuminated portion; and (ii) a housing to house the two or more control devices so that the two or more control devices are constrained to move with one another but having an obscured portion so as to obscure all but one of the illuminated portions of the two or more control devices; two or more data processing devices, a respective data processing device being associated with each of the two or more user control devices so as to receive inertial detection results from that user control device; two or more video cameras, a respective video camera being associated with each data processing device and each being configured to capture images of the non-obscured illuminated portion; in which each data processing device is configured to detect a location and orientation of the control apparatus from images captured by the respective camera of the non-obscured illuminated portion and from inertial detection results received from the respective control device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A system according to claim 6, configured to detect a mapping between respective frames of reference of the two or more video cameras by correlating the location and orientation of the control apparatus as detected by each data processing device. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: moving a control apparatus to a plurality of locations within view of two or more video cameras, the control apparatus including: (i) two or more user control devices, each user control device having an inertial detector having a wireless communications module to communicate inertial detection results, and an illuminated portion, and (ii) a housing to house the two or more control devices so that the two or more control devices are constrained to move with one another but having an obscured portion so as to obscure all but one of the illuminated portions of the two or more control devices; deriving two or more sets of location data by capturing images of the control apparatus using the two or more video cameras, and in respect of each video camera, detecting inertial detection results received from a respective one of the control devices; detecting a mapping between respective frames of reference of the two or more video cameras by correlating the two or more sets of location data. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores computer software, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising: moving a control apparatus to a plurality of locations within view of two or more video cameras, the control apparatus including: (i) two or more user control devices, each user control device having an inertial detector having a wireless communications module to communicate inertial detection results, and an illuminated portion, and (ii) a housing to house the two or more control devices so that the two or more control devices are constrained to move with one another but having an obscured portion so as to obscure all but one of the illuminated portions of the two or more control devices; deriving two or more sets of location data by capturing images of the control apparatus using the two or more video cameras, and in respect of each video camera, detecting inertial detection results received from a respective one of the control devices; detecting a mapping between respective frames of reference of the two or more video cameras by correlating the two or more sets of location data.