Controlling actions in a video game unit

An apparatus for controlling actions in a video game, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• a controller coupled to the processor, the controller having an inertial sensor and one or more light sources;
• a single camera coupled to the processor;
• and
• one or more processor executable instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:
• determine a current position of the controller using an inertial signal from the inertial sensor, the current position determined using the inertial signal being subject to drift that accumulates over time, the drift being a discrepancy between the determined current position of the controller and an actual position of the controller;
• obtain one or more images of the one or more light sources with a single camera;
• separately determine a reference position of the controller from the one or more images;
• and
• correct for the drift that accumulates over time by re-setting the current position of the controller to the reference position separately determined from the one or more images.

A method for controlling actions in a video game unit having a controller, the method comprising:

• receiving one or more optical signals generated with one or more light sources mounted to the controller;
• determining a current position of the controller with an inertial signal received from an inertial sensor on the controller, the current position determined using the inertial signal being subject to drift that accumulates over time, the drift being a discrepancy between the determined current position of the controller and an actual position of the controller;
• obtaining one or more images of the light sources from a single image capture unit;
• separately determining a reference position of the controller from the one or more images;
• and
• correcting for the drift that accumulates over time by re-setting the current position determined using the inertial signal to the reference position separately determined from the one or more images;
• decoding one or more telemetry signals encoded into the one or more optical signals;
• and
• executing one or more game instructions in response to the position and orientation of the controller;
• and
• executing one or more game instructions in response to the one or more telemetry signals encoded in the one or more optical signals.

An apparatus for controlling actions in a video game, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• a controller coupled to the processor, the controller having one or more light sources and an inertial sensor mounted to the controller;
• one or more processor executable instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to:
• generate one or more optical signals with the one or more light sources;
• determine a current position of the controller with one or more signals from the inertial sensor, the current position determined with the one or more signals from the inertial sensor being subject to drift that accumulates over time, the drift being a discrepancy between the determined current position of the controller and an actual position of the controller;
• separately determine a reference position of the controller from the one or more images of the light sources obtained with a single camera;
• and correct for the drift that accumulates over time by re-setting the current position determined with the one or more inertial sensor signals to the reference position separately determined from the one or more images.