# US 12,594,490 B2 · Control device, system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,490 B2 - Document ID: US12594490B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/155,857 - Filed: 2023-01-18 - Published: 2023-07-27 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-27 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Inventors: Christopher W. Henderson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594490B2 ## 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 13/21: characterised by their sensors, purposes or types - A63F 13/212: using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity - A63F 13/218: using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player - A63F 13/24: Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles - 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 - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A control device includes one or more sensors to detect motion of the control device in at least three spatial axes, a wireless communication unit to transmit tracking information indicative of the detected motion and an exterior surface having no more than three user-actuated inputs. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processing system, comprising: a plurality of control devices each including: (i) one or more sensors to detect motion of the control device in at least three spatial axes; (ii) a wireless communication unit to transmit tracking information indicative of the detected motion; and (iii) an exterior surface having no more than three user-actuated inputs; and a processing device comprising: a receiver to receive the tracking information for the plurality of control devices; and processing circuitry to: select, based on at least one of a user input indicative of a selection by a user and one or more properties of the received tracking information, one of a first mode of generating control information from the received tracking information or a second mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; interpret the received tracking information according to the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; and generate, using the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information, control information for updating one or more processing operations in dependence on the received tracking information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of a given control device of the plurality of control devices comprises: i. no more than two user-actuated inputs; ii. no more than one user-actuated input; or iii. no user-actuated input. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein a control device of the plurality of control devices is either a handheld control device or a wearable control device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein a control device of the plurality of control devices is a handheld control device and the exterior surface has a shape that is one of: i. spherical or substantially spherical; ii. cubic or substantially cubic; or iii. ovoidal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the exterior surface comprises an elastically deformable portion for being elastically deformed when gripped by a hand of a user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The processing system according to claim 5, wherein a control device of the plurality of control devices comprises one or more of: i. an internal pressure sensor for sensing pressure applied to the elastically deformable portion of the exterior surface of the control device; and ii. one or more internal pressure sensitive switches configured to be actuated when at least a predetermined pressure is applied to the elastically deformable portion of the exterior surface of the control device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein a control device of the plurality of control devices comprises a power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power and a chargeable battery connected to the power receiving unit and configured to store the received power. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, in which the processing circuitry is configured to update one or more of the processing operations to control an application so that control of the application is performed by user interaction with the plurality of the control devices acting cooperatively. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the control devices is a master device configured to receive the tracking information for another control device and to transmit the tracking information for the other control device for reception by the processing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to interpret the received tracking information according to the first mode to interpret the tracking information for the control devices as a plurality of respective inputs, and wherein the processing device is configured to interpret the received tracking information according to the second mode to interpret the received tracking information for the control devices as from a single input device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to select one of the first mode or the second mode in dependence upon a separation distance between a first control device and a second control device indicated by the received tracking information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein each control device is configured to transmit the tracking information for that control device, the transmitted tracking information comprising identification information for that control device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to combine (i) optical tracking information for at least one of the plurality of control devices received from one or more camera devices and (ii) the received tracking information. ### Claim 14 A data processing method comprising: detecting, by one or more sensors of a respective control device, motion of the control device in at least three spatial axes; transmitting, by the respective control device, tracking information indicative of the detected motion; receiving, by a processing device, the tracking information; selecting, by the processing device and based on at least one of a user input indicative of a selection by a user and one or more properties of the received tracking information, one of a first mode of generating control information from the received tracking information or a second mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; interpreting, by the processing device, the received tracking information according to the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; and generating, using the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information, control information for updating one or more processing operations in dependence on the received tracking information, wherein the data processing method is performed using one or more control devices, and wherein each control device has an exterior surface having no more than three user-actuated inputs. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a data processing method comprising: detecting, by one or more sensors of a respective control device, motion of the control device in at least three spatial axes; transmitting, by the respective control device, tracking information indicative of the detected motion; receiving, by a processing device, the tracking information; selecting, by the processing device and based on at least one of a user input indicative of a selection by a user and one or more properties of the received tracking information, one of a first mode of generating control information from the received tracking information or a second mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; interpreting, by the processing device, the received tracking information according to the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information; and generating, using the selected mode of generating control information from the received tracking information, control information for updating one or more processing operations in dependence on the received tracking information, wherein the data processing method is performed using one or more control devices, and wherein each control device has an exterior surface having no more than three user-actuated inputs.