Detectable and trackable hand-held controller

Abstract

One embodiment provides a controller that includes a body, one or more buttons disposed on the body, and one or more detectable elements disposed on the body that are arranged in a pattern.

1 . A controller, comprising: 
 a body;    one or more buttons disposed on the body; and    one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on the body that are arranged in a geometric shape.    
   
   
       2 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the one or more LEDs comprises four LEDs.  
   
   
       3 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the geometric shape comprises a rectangle.  
   
   
       4 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the one or more LEDs are attached to a front portion of the body that faces away from a user when the controller is properly held by the user.  
   
   
       5 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to be strobed.  
   
   
       6 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to be modulated.  
   
   
       7 . A controller in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the one or more LEDs are each configured to operate at a different frequency.  
   
   
       8 . A method of making a controller, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a body;    disposing one or more buttons on the body; and    attaching one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to the body, wherein the one or more LEDs are arranged in a geometric shape.    
   
   
       9 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the one or more LEDs comprises four LEDs.  
   
   
       10 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the geometric shape comprises a rectangle.  
   
   
       11 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the one or more LEDs are attached to a front portion of the body that faces away from a user when the controller is properly held by the user.  
   
   
       12 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to be strobed.  
   
   
       13 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to be modulated.  
   
   
       14 . A method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the one or more LEDs are each configured to operate at a different frequency.  
   
   
       15 . A game controller, comprising: 
 a body having a forward section to be oriented towards a screen when a progress of a game controlled in accordance with the game controller is displayed upon the screen;    at least one input device assembled with the body, the input device manipulable by a user to register an input from the user; and    at least one photonically detectable (“PD”) element assembled with the body, a position of the photonically detectable element within an image being recordable by an image capture device when the forward section is oriented at least generally towards the screen, wherein positions of the PD element at different points in time are quantifiable at quantify movement of the body in space.    
   
   
       16 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a signal encoder and an infrared signal transmitter operable to transmit an infrared signal over the air from a signal generated by the signal encoder, the signal encoder being programmable to encode the signal with a selected one of a plurality of signaling codes for reception by an electronic device having an infrared receiver and a signal decoder operable with the selected one signaling code.  
   
   
       17 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the PD element includes a retro-reflector.  
   
   
       18 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the PD element has a color having high contrast relative to a color of a portion of said body adjacent to said PD element.  
   
   
       19 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein each of the at least one PD element includes a pattern including at least two different textures, the textures differing in at least one of brightness, color or roughness.  
   
   
       20 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the PD element includes a light source.  
   
   
       21 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting diode (“LED”).  
   
   
       22 . The game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  20  including two of said at least one PD element, the two PD elements defining a line.  
   
   
       23 . The game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  20  including three of said at least one PD element, the three PD elements defining a triangle.  
   
   
       24 . The game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  20  including four of said at least one PD element.  
   
   
       25 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the four PD elements define a rectangle.  
   
   
       26 . The game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  24 , wherein the body includes a housing holdable by hand, and the input device includes an element movable by the user relative to the body of the game controller to register the input from the user.  
   
   
       27 . The game controller as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the housing includes a handgrip graspable by hand.  
   
   
       28 . The game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  24 , wherein the body of the game controller is mountable to the user's body.  
   
   
       29 . An apparatus including the game controller as claimed in any one of claims  15  through  23 , and a processor operable to execute a program to enable the game to be interactively played by a user in accordance with input through said user-manipulable input device, the processor being operable to detect the position of the PD element within the image using information output by the image capture device.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the position of PD element is recordable by an image capture device is located in a vicinity of the screen when the forward section is oriented at least generally towards the screen.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the processor is operable to obtain a series of samples representative of acceleration of said body in space at different points in time from information output by the image capture device.  
   
   
       32 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the processor is operable to determine a velocity of said body using said series of samples.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the processor is operable to determine the velocity by integrating acceleration values obtained from the series of samples over an interval of time.  
   
   
       34 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the processor is operable to determine a displacement of the body in space by first integrating acceleration values obtained from said series of samples over an interval of time and then integrating a result of said first integrating.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the processor is operable to determine a position of the body in space by determining the displacement in relation to a previously determined position.  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the game controller includes at least two of the PD elements and the processor is operable to obtain a series of samples representative of acceleration of said body in at least two degrees of freedom in space using the information output by the image capture device.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the game controller includes at least three of the PD elements and the processor is operable to obtain a series of samples representative of acceleration of said body in at least three degrees of freedom using the information output by the image capture device.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the at least three degrees of freedom include movement along three axes x, y and z, each of said axes being orthogonal to every other of said axes.  
   
   
       39 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the at least three degrees of freedom include pitch, yaw and roll.  
   
   
       40 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein said inertial sensor is operable to quantify the movement in six degrees of freedom, said six degrees of freedom including said three degrees of freedom and pitch, yaw and roll.  
   
   
       41 . A game controller, comprising: 
 a body having a forward section to be oriented towards a screen when a progress of a game controlled in accordance with the game controller is displayed upon the screen;    at least one input device assembled with the body, the input device manipulable by a user to register an input from the user;    a signal encoder; and    an infrared signal transmitter operable to transmit an infrared signal over the air using a signal generated by the signal encoder, the signal encoder being programmable to encode the signal with a selected one of a plurality of signaling codes for reception by an electronic device having an infrared receiver and a signal decoder operable with the selected one signaling code.