Video game system and game controller

Abstract

Game controllers having a communication link to a game systems, a processor, and a photoelectric plethysmography, a galvanometer, or a thermocouple. Video game systems having a video game processor, a computer readable medium containing executable instructions for providing a video game and the game controller.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A game controller comprising: 
 a communication link to a game system;    a processor;    one or more components selected from the group consisting of: a photoelectric plethysmography, a galvanometer and a thermocouple;    wherein the processor comprises executable instructions for providing the game system measurements from one or more of the components.    
     
     
         2 . The game controller of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one finger pressure cuff, wherein the finger pressure cuff is configured to allow insertion of a digit into at least a portion of the finger pressure cuff and wherein the finger pressure cuff comprises an inflatable bladder configure to create a pressure change on an inserted digit in the finger pressure cuff.  
     
     
         3 . The game controller of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one digit retention ring, wherein the digit retention ring is configured to allow insertion of a digit through at least a portion of the digit retention ring.  
     
     
         4 . The game controller of  claim 2 , wherein the finger pressure cuff is located on the underside of the game controller to facilitate insertion of a digit into the finger pressure cuff.  
     
     
         5 . The game controller of  claim 3 , wherein the digit retention ring is located on the underside of the game controller to facilitate insertion of a digit through the digit retention ring.  
     
     
         6 . The game controller of  claim 2 , wherein the photoelectric plethysmography comprises an LED and a photo diode.  
     
     
         7 . The game controller of  claim 1 , wherein the galvanometer is configured to measure a change in resistance across two electrodes of a digit in physical communication with the galvanometer.  
     
     
         8 . The game controller of  claim 3 , wherein the galvanometer is adjacent the digit retention ring and wherein the galvanometer is configured to measure a change in resistance across two electrodes of a digit in physical communication with the galvanometer.  
     
     
         9 . The game controller of  claim 6 , wherein the processor comprises executable instructions for measuring blood pressure and pulse of a digit inserted into the finger pressure cuff.  
     
     
         10 . A video gaming system comprising: 
 a video game processor;    a computer readable medium containing executable instructions for providing a video game; and    the game controller of  claim 1 .    
     
     
         11 . The video gaming system of  claim 10 , further comprising an air compressor, wherein the air compressor is configured to inflate the finger pressure cuff with a pressure sufficient to allow the photoelectric plethysmography to obtain measurements from a digit.  
     
     
         12 . The video gaming system of  claim 10 , further comprising an ear bud attachment, wherein the ear bud attachment is in communication with the video game processor and comprises a microphone and a respiration sensor, and wherein the respiration sensor is configured to measure respiration.  
     
     
         13 . An earpiece for a video game system, comprising: 
 a speaker;    a communication link; and    a respiratory voice sensor;    wherein the speaker and the respiratory voice sensor are in electrical communication with the communication link.    
     
     
         14 . The earpiece of  claim 13 , wherein the respiratory voice sensor comprises a thermocouple and a microphone.  
     
     
         15 . The earpiece of  claim 14 , wherein the thermocouple comprises a polyvinylidine fluoride thermocouple.  
     
     
         16 . A handheld video gaming system comprising: 
 a shell;    a video display;    a computer readable medium containing executable instructions for providing a video game;    a video processor;    and one or more biofeedback devices incorporated into the shell of the handheld video gaming system.    
     
     
         17 . A video game system comprising: 
 a) a circuit board;    b) one or more input adapters in communication with the circuit board, wherein the input adapters are configured to carry data from at least two distinct data types;    c) an analog to digital converter in communication with the circuit board;    d) one or more shift registers in communication with the circuit board; and    e) a microprocessor in communication with the circuit board and a software input module;    wherein the two distinct data types comprise manual controller motion data and physiological data.    
     
     
         18 . A method for providing player physiological data and manual controller data to a video gaming system software input module, wherein the method comprises the steps of: 
 a) receiving at least two distinct data types from a gaming controller, wherein the data types comprise unprocessed physiological data and manual controller data;    b) transforming the unprocessed physiological data from an analog form to a  20  digital form utilizing an analog to digital converter;    c) collecting the digital form of the physiological data on a shift register, wherein the physiological data is collected serially;    d) converting the serial physiological data into a parallel form on a parallel data bus;    e) transferring the parallel physiological data on the parallel data bus to a microprocessor;    f) relaying the parallel physiological data to a ROM unit; wherein the ROM unit stores the parallel physiological data;    g) accessing the ROM unit utilizing a RAM unit to perform pre-defined calculations of the parallel physiological data; wherein the calculations comprise a “z” value;    h) transferring the “z” value to a shift register in a serial manner;    i) converting the serial “z” values to a parallel form of the “z” values;    j) transferring the parallel form “z” values to a microprocessor; and    k) relaying the parallel form “z” values from the microprocessor to a software input module.    
     
     
         19 . A video gaming system comprising: 
 a) a video game processor;    b) a computer readable medium containing executable instructions for providing a video game;    c) a microprocessor in communication with one or more input adapters, wherein the microprocessor comprises executable instructions for analyzing physiological data received through the input adapters.    
     
     
         20 . A video game system comprising: 
 a) a video game processor;    b) a computer readable medium containing executable instructions for providing a video game;    c) a microprocessor in communication with the video game processor;    d) one or more input adapters in communication with the microprocessor; wherein the input adapters are configured to carry data from at least two distinct data types; and further wherein the data types comprise physiological data from a game player and conventional controller data;    wherein the microprocessor comprises executable instructions for determining a “z-factor” which represents the number of standard deviations the physiological data is away from a calculated mean of the physiological data.    
     
     
         21 . A method for providing physiological data to a video game system, wherein the method comprises the steps of: 
 a) receiving input data through an input adapter on the video gaming system, wherein the input data comprises multiple physiological data points and conventional controller data points;    b) separating the physiological data points from a serial storage form into a parallel storage form, wherein the physiological data points are grouped by time;    c) calculating a “z-factor” for each physiological data point utilizing a mean and standard deviation of the physiologic data points;    d) transferring the “z-factor” for each physiological data point to a software input module on the video gaming system.