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US 2010/0073283 A1Published application
Controller with user-selectable discrete button emulation
OwnerRobert Enrightinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A user device with a position control device such as a thumbstick may be used to emulate discrete button presses via user selection of a mode switch on the device.
Claims33
A device comprising:
- a. a housing;
- b. a user-controllable mode switch connected to the housing enabling a user to select a position mode or a discrete mode;
- c. a position control device connected to the housing, manipulatable by a user to provide position coordinate data that varies in accordance with a position of the position control device;
- d. processing circuitry coupled to the mode switch and the position control device and adapted to determine if a user has selected the position mode or the discrete mode;
- wherein
- i. when the mode switch is in the position mode, to output the position coordinate data as a function of the position of the position control device, or
- ii. when the mode switch is in the discrete mode, to output at least one discrete signal as a function of the position of the position control device.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- a. a user device comprising:
- 1. a housing;
- 2. a user-controllable mode switch connected to the housing, to output a mode signal that indicates if a user has selected a position mode or a discrete mode;
- 3. a position control device connected to the housing, manipulatable by a user to provide position coordinate data that varies in accordance with a position of the position control device;
- and
- 4. means for transmitting the mode signal and the position coordinate data to a host computing device;
- and
- b. a host computing device interconnectable with the user device comprising:
- 1. means for receiving the mode signal and the position coordinate data from the user device;
- and
- 2. processing circuitry adapted to determine if a user has selected the position mode or the discrete mode based on the mode signal;
- wherein
- i. when the mode signal indicates that the mode switch is in the position mode, then processing the position coordinate data as a function of the position of the position control device, or
- ii. when the mode signal indicates that the mode switch is in the discrete mode, then processing the position coordinate data as at least one discrete signal as a function of the position of the position control device.
11 more elements
An integrated hand-holdable computing system comprising:
- a. a housing;
- b. a user-controllable mode switch connected to the housing, to output a mode signal that indicates if a user has selected a position mode or a discrete mode;
- c. a position control device connected to the housing, manipulatable by a user to provide position coordinate data that varies in accordance with a position of the position control device;
- and
- d. processing circuitry adapted to determine if a user has selected the position mode or the discrete mode based on the mode signal;
- wherein
- i. when the mode signal indicates that the mode switch is in the position mode, then processing the position coordinate data as a function of the position of the position control device, or
- ii. when the mode signal indicates that the mode switch is in the discrete mode, then processing the position coordinate data as at least one discrete signal as a function of the position of the position control device.
5 more elements
A method of operating a device comprising:
- a. enabling a user to operate a mode switch in order to select a position mode or a discrete mode;
- b. enabling the user to manipulate a position control device to provide position coordinate data that varies in accordance with a position of the position control device;
- and
- c. determining if the mode switch is in the position mode or the discrete mode;
- and
- i. if the mode switch is in the position mode, then processing the position coordinate data as a function of the position of the position control device, or
- ii. if the mode switch is in the discrete mode, then processing at least one discrete signal as a function of the position of the position control device.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a. a position control device manipulatable by a user to provide position coordinate data that varies in accordance with a position of the position control device;
- and
- b. processing circuitry coupled to the position control device, adapted to output at least one discrete signal as a function of the position of the position control device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.