Gaming peripheral including rotational element

Abstract

A gaming peripheral for use during play of an electronic video game includes a board member and a rotational element extending from a bottom surface of the board member. The board member is rotatable about any of three mutually orthogonal axes, by a user standing on a top surface of the board member and applying a force to the rotational element which is contacting an opposing surface, such as the ground. The board member includes a rotation determination element for generating data representative of the rotation of the board member about any of the three axes. The rotational element and the rotation determination element can be disengageably engaged with the board member, such that a conventional, standalone board member, for example, a skateboard, is readily convertible between the gaming peripheral and the standalone skateboard.

1 . A gaming peripheral for operation with a game console, the peripheral comprising:
 a board extending lengthwise between opposing ends and including a top surface and a bottom surface;   a rotational element extending from the bottom surface of the board and including a contact surface for contacting an opposing surface during play of a game on a console; and   a controller unit including:
 a detector for detecting rotation of the board about any one of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the rotation of the board is caused by applying a force to the board for moving a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface in relation to the opposing surface or for changing a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface from a first portion of the contact surface to a second portion of the contact surface; and 
 a wireless communication unit for wirelessly transmitting data representative of the detected rotation to the game console during play of the game. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational element is detachably engageable to the bottom surface of the board. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom surface of the board defines threaded apertures and the rotational element defines apertures alignable, respectively, with the apertures in the bottom surface of the board, wherein the rotational element is engageable with the board by alignment of the apertures of the board with the corresponding apertures of the rotational element. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 3 , wherein the board is a standalone skateboard engageable to a wheel unit defining apertures for receiving screws for securing the wheel unit to the board at the apertures in the bottom surface of the board, wherein the apertures in the rotational element have a spacing configuration matching a spacing configuration of the apertures in the wheel unit. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 2 , wherein the bottom surface of the board includes a first mating element and the rotational element includes a second mating element, wherein the first mating element is detachably mateable with the second mating element. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the controller unit is detachably engageable to the board. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 6 , wherein the controller unit includes a first mating element for detachably mating with a second mating element on the top or bottom surface of the board. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the controller unit includes an input button for receiving user input, wherein the wireless unit is for transmitting data representative of the received user input to the game console during play of the game. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the board is shaped as a skateboard. 
     
     
         10 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the contact surface of the rotational element has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         11 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 10 , wherein the contact surface of the rotational element includes a substantially planar portion. 
     
     
         12 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the detector is positioned adjacent to or at one of the ends of the board. 
     
     
         13 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the controller unit extends from the bottom surface of the board. 
     
     
         14 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 1 , wherein the controller unit includes a protective covering. 
     
     
         15 . A gaming peripheral for operation with a game console, the peripheral comprising:
 a board extending lengthwise between opposing ends and including a top surface and a bottom surface;   a rotational element extending from the bottom surface of the board and including a contact surface for contacting an opposing surface during play of a game on the console; and   a tracking element extending from the top surface of the board for use in tracking rotation of the board about any one of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the rotation of the board is caused by applying a force to the board for moving a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface in relation to the opposing surface or for changing a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface from a first portion of the contact surface to a second portion of the contact surface.   
     
     
         16 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 15 , wherein the tracking element is a tracking ball detachably engageable from the board and reflective of optical energy signals. 
     
     
         17 . The gaming peripheral of  claim 15 , wherein the tracking element is positioned adjacent to or at one of the ends of the board. 
     
     
         18 . A method for playing a video game comprising:
 providing a gaming peripheral including a board having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface includes a rotational element including a contact surface for contacting an opposing surface during play of the game, wherein the peripheral includes a rotation determination element for generating data representative of rotation of the board about any of three mutually perpendicular axes;   applying a force to the board for moving a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface in relation to the opposing surface or for changing a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface from a first portion of the contact surface to a second portion of the contact surface, thereby causing the board to rotate about at least a first of the axes;   generating rotation data representative of the rotation of the board about the first axis using the rotation determination element; and   using the rotation data at a gaming unit during play of the video game.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the rotation determination unit includes an accelerometer unit for generating the rotation data, the method further comprising:
 wirelessly transmitting the rotation data to the gaming unit.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the rotation determination unit includes a tracking element for reflecting optical energy signals, wherein the rotation data is generated based on the reflected optical energy signals. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 determining at the gaming unit, based on the rotation data, whether the rotation of the board corresponds to a predetermined activity; and   modifying play of the game at the gaming unit based on the determination.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the board includes a user contact input element, the method further comprising:
 detecting a user contacting the input element during play of the game; and   wirelessly transmitting data representative of the detected user contact with the input element to the gaming unit.   
     
     
         23 . A method for playing an electronic video game using a skateboard, wherein the skateboard includes front and back wheel units disengageably engageable to a bottom surface of the skateboard, the method comprising:
 disengaging the front and back wheel units from the skateboard;   engaging a rotational element to the skateboard at a location on the bottom surface of the skateboard at which the back wheel unit is engageable to the skateboard;   engaging to the skateboard a controller unit having wireless communication capabilities and for detecting rotation of the skateboard about any of three mutually perpendicular axes; and   during play of the game, wirelessly transmitting, from the controller unit, data representative of detected rotation of the skateboard about at least a first of the axes.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 after play of the game, disengaging the rotational element and the controller unit from the skateboard.   
     
     
         25 . A device for providing input to a game comprising:
 a board means having a bottom surface and a top surface;   a rotational means extending from the bottom surface of the board means and including a contact surface for contacting an opposing surface during play of a game;   wherein the board means is rotatable about any of three mutually perpendicular axes, by moving a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface in relation to the opposing surface or causing a portion of the contact surface contacting the opposing surface to change from a first portion of the contact surface to a second portion of the contact surface; and   means for determining rotation of the board about at least one of the axes.   
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the rotational means is disengageable from the board means. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the rotation determination means is disengageable from the board means.