Universal Toy Controller System And Methods

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and methods, for an game controller system are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided that allows for universal control of games. In some embodiments, the games are hosted at an online portal, which contains a software module allowing a game programmer to specify a controller mapping. When a particular game is selected by a user, the mapping is sent to the local computer. Once installed, the mapping file maps commands received from a controller to specific actions within the game. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

1 . A universal game controller system for use with a variety of game consoles comprising:
 a game controller, the game controller comprising a touch screen interface and a first communications transceiver; and   a base station; the base station comprising a second communications transceiver, configured to communicate with the first transceiver, and a communications port, the communications port operable to connect the base station to a game console.   
   
   
       2 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is a hand held controller comprising a plurality of accelerometers. 
   
   
       3 . The universal game controller system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of accelerometers comprises an accelerometer selected from a group consisting of: an orientation accelerometer, a motion accelerometer, and an acceleration accelerometer. 
   
   
       4 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and the second communications transceivers comprise transceivers selected from a group consisting of: an optical transceiver, a radio frequency transceiver, an infrared transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a RFID transceiver, a frequency hopping radio frequency transceiver, and an ultra wideband transceiver. 
   
   
       5 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications port comprises a port selected from a group consisting of: a Universal Serial Bus port, a FireWire port, a twisted pair port, a phone line port, and a wired medium port. 
   
   
       6 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station routs signals from the game controller to the game console. 
   
   
       7 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is a hand held controller. 
   
   
       8 . The universal game controller system of  claim 7 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises at least one section selected from a group consisting of a direction control section and a push button control section. 
   
   
       9 . The universal game controller system of  claim 8 , wherein a portion of the touch screen interface comprises textured material identifying game play controls. 
   
   
       10 . The universal game controller system of  claim 7 , wherein the touch screen interface is illuminated to identify game play options. 
   
   
       11 . The universal game controller system of  claim 7 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a plurality of material deformations indicating controls. 
   
   
       12 . The universal game controller system of  claim 11 , wherein the material deformations are selected from a group consisting of recessed portions and raised portions. 
   
   
       13 . The universal game controller system of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is a battery operated hand held controller, the base station comprises a top surface, the top surface containing a recessed section fitted to a similar section on the hand held controller, the recessed section comprising a power connector suitable to recharge the batteries of the hand held controller. 
   
   
       14 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller is a tablet game controller. 
   
   
       15 . The universal game controller system of  claim 14 , wherein the wherein the game controller further comprises a connector suitable to connect the game controller to a computing device. 
   
   
       16 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is battery operated and the connector is suitable to recharge the battery from a computing device. 
   
   
       17 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a multiplicity of sections, at least one section selected from a group consisting of: a section configured with direction controls; a section configured with action controls, a section configured as a keyboard, and a section configured to allow a user to draw on the touch screen interface. 
   
   
       18 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , wherein a portion of the touch screen interface comprises textured material identifying game play controls. 
   
   
       19 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the touch screen interface is illuminated to identify game play options. 
   
   
       20 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a plurality of material deformations indicating controls. 
   
   
       21 . The universal game controller system of  claim 20 , wherein the material deformations are selected from a group consisting of recessed portions and raised portions. 
   
   
       22 . The universal game controller system of  claim 15 , further comprising a stylus, the stylus configured in the shape of a pen, the allowing a user to draw on the touch screen interface. 
   
   
       23 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the game station console comprises a connector suitable to connect the console with the base station. 
   
   
       24 . The universal game controller system of  claim 1 , wherein the game station console comprises a connector suitable to connect the console to a television. 
   
   
       25 . A method of enabling game play on a game controller, the method comprising:
 communicating a signal from a universal game controller, the universal game controller configured for use with a variety of game consoles, the game controller comprising a touch screen interface and a first communications transceiver;   receiving the signal at a base station, the base station comprising a second communications transceiver configured to communicate with the first transceiver, and a communications port operable to connect the base station to a game console; and   communicating a signal from the base station to the game console.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the game controller is a hand held controller comprising a plurality of accelerometers. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of accelerometers comprises an accelerometer selected from a group consisting of: an orientation accelerometer, a motion accelerometer, and an acceleration accelerometer. 
   
   
       28 . The method system of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first and the second communications transceivers comprise transceivers selected from a group consisting of: an optical transceiver, a radio frequency transceiver, an infrared transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a RFID transceiver, a frequency hopping radio frequency transceiver, and an ultra wideband transceiver. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the communications port comprises a port selected from a group consisting of: a Universal Serial Bus port, a FireWire port, a twisted pair port, a phone line port, and a wired medium port. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the base station routs signals from the game controller to the game console. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the controller is a hand held controller. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises at least one section selected from a group consisting of a direction control section and a push button control section. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein a portion of the touch screen interface comprises textured material identifying game play controls. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the touch screen interface is illuminated to identify game play options. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a plurality of material deformations indicating controls. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the material deformations are selected from a group consisting of recessed portions and raised portions. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is a battery operated hand held controller, the base station comprises a top surface, the top surface containing a recessed section fitted to a similar section on the hand held controller, the recessed section comprising a power connector suitable to recharge the batteries of the hand held controller. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the game controller is a tablet game controller. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the wherein the game controller further comprises a connector suitable to connect the game controller to a computing device. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the controller is battery operated and the connector is suitable to recharge the battery from a computing device. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a multiplicity of sections, at least one section selected from a group consisting of: a section configured with direction controls; a section configured with action controls, and a section configured as a keyboard, and a section configured to allow a user to draw on the touch screen interface. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein a portion of the touch screen interface comprises textured material identifying game play controls. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the touch screen interface is illuminated to identify game play options. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the touch screen interface comprises a plurality of material deformations indicating controls. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the material deformations are selected from a group consisting of recessed portions and raised portions. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising a stylus, the stylus configured in the shape of a pen, the allowing a user to draw on the touch screen interface. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the game station console comprises a connector suitable to connect the console with the base station. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the game station console comprises a connector suitable to connect the console to a television. 
   
   
       49 . A universal game controller comprising:
 a housing;   a touch sensitive display contained within the housing; and   a communications transceiver contained within the housing, the communications transceiver configured to send signals to and receive signals from a computing apparatus, the computing apparatus communicating with a server on a network, the server comprising a web portal, and a software module, the software module configured to allow a game programmer to specify controller interactions with a game, the software module further configured to generate a mapping file from the interactions and to send the mapping file to the computing apparatus.   
   
   
       50 . The universal game controller of  claim 49 , wherein the web portal is configured to send a web page to the computing apparatus, the web page containing information related to available games, the webpage further comprising a configuration to allow a user to select a game. 
   
   
       51 . The universal controller of  claim 49 , wherein the configuration to allow a user to select a game is a tool bar. 
   
   
       52 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein selection on the tool bar is disabled if the computing apparatus is not actively communicating with the web server. 
   
   
       53 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein the server configuration further comprises a configuration to receive a selection from the computing apparatus, determine an appropriate mapping file from the received signal, and transfer the appropriate mapping file to the computing apparatus. 
   
   
       54 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein the computing apparatus is configured to receive a signal from the universal controller the signal comprising an action, determine which action is represented in the signal, determine from a mapping file an interaction with a game, and display the determined action in the game. 
   
   
       55 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein the server is further configured to determine if a software program has been installed on the computing apparatus and transmit the computer program to the computing apparatus. 
   
   
       56 . The universal controller of  claim 55 , wherein the software program configures the computing apparatus to display an interface, the interface comprising a region for game play and a region configured to allow a user to select a game. 
   
   
       57 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , further comprising
 a memory contained within the housing;   a processor, contained within the housing, the processor communicating with the communications transceiver and the memory and a storage medium, the storage medium configured to store a bitmap, the processor configured to display the bitmap on the touch sensitive display.   
   
   
       58 . The universal controller of  claim 57 , wherein the computing apparatus is configured to receive a bitmap from the server and send the bitmap to the controller. 
   
   
       59 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , further comprising a plurality of accelerometers within the housing, the communications transceiver configured to send a signal to the computing apparatus, the signal containing information from at least one of the plurality of accelerometers. 
   
   
       60 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein the controller is a tablet controller, the touch sensitive display comprising a plurality of regions at least one of the plurality selected from a group consisting of a game control region, a mouse control region, a stylus region, and a keyboard region. 
   
   
       61 . The universal controller of  claim 51 , wherein the controller is a handheld controller, the handheld controller further comprising a battery contained within the housing, the housing further comprising a port configured to allow recharge of the battery.