Patent Application
20050078086
Not applicable
This invention relates generally to display orientation, and more particularly to a method and system for controlling a display orientation while using an input function.
Up until now, hand held gaming units were held steady with their displays oriented directly at the user. Traditionally, hand held gaming units have had their buttons as the primary user input. However, tilt has now become a new gaming control input with the proliferation of MEMS accelerometer technology. Tilt input is now possible with both side to side tilting and front to back tilting. When using the tilt input or function with such devices, a major problem or disadvantage is that the display is no longer oriented directly at the user as the tilt function is used. This creates non-optimal viewing angles for at least two reasons. First, with liquid crystal display (LCD) technology the crispness of the display is reduced when viewed at an angle. Second, and perhaps more important, is an annoying glare that is created off of the glass surface of the display. The glare is particularly bad when used inside with overhead lighting with multiple light sources, but this new phenomenon is also bad in many single light source environments. While tilting is good for controlling many different types of games, the corresponding display movement is not.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,572 by Masuyama et. al, and assigned to Nintendo Co., Ltd, a hand-held game device receives a cartridge having an XY-axes acceleration sensor and a Z-axis contact switch. Thus, this 3 axis arrangement can allow motions in the up and down direction to act as a gaming input. So, for instance, the user could fly a plane by tilting in four (4) directions (left, right, climb, and dive) and use a sudden downward movement to provide an additional input that could be used to drop a bomb in the case of a flight simulator game. Once again, all these previously described movements will correspondingly move a display in a fashion that is sub-optimal for viewing.
A method, system and apparatus for providing a controlled display orientation is shown. Although the embodiments discussed herein primarily concern hand held gaming controls, the concepts herein are applicable to a wide variety of devices having displays. Thus, embodiments disclosed enable a display on a device such a hand held gaming control to maintain a controlled orientation for the display. For example, the display on the hand held gaming control can be maintained in an orientation pointed at the user while they are using tilt as a gaming input. In the simplest form for example, the hand held gaming control can use gravity to keep the display pointed directly at the user. In a more complex form, motion detectors such as MEMS accelerometers could be used to detect the tilt of the display itself which would drive small electric motors to keep the display at an optimal viewing angle.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of orienting a display relative to an input device can include the steps of affixing the input device to the display in at least a first orientation and enabling the input device to move on an axis in at least a second orientation relative to the display which substantially maintains the first orientation. The input device can optionally move in other orientations while substantially maintaining the display in the first orientation.
In a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic controller apparatus having an input device coupled to a display can include a motion detector within the input device and a means for maintaining the display in a predetermined orientation relative to a user of the electronic device and regardless of the movement of the input device. The movement of the input device causes a signal to vary in the electronic controller apparatus. The electronic controller can be a hand held device selected from the group comprising a game controller, a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, a gaming adaptor for a personal digital assistant, a gaming adaptor for a cellular phone, and a remote control device. Furthermore, the means for maintaining the display in the predetermined orientation can use gravity to maintain the predetermined orientation or alternatively use electronic sensors and motors to maintain the predetermined orientation of the display.
In a third aspect of the present invention, an electronic controller having an input device can include a display pivotably coupled to the input device enabling relative movement in at least a first axis while maintaining the display in a first orientation and a tilt sensor within the input device. The display can remain in the first orientation for example by using gravity or by using electronic sensors and motors associated with the display. The electronic apparatus can further include a position adjustment device for fine tuning an orientation of the display using a means for changing a center of gravity such as a shiftable weight or a moving pivot.
Referring to
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The electronic controller apparatus 30 can also include a means for maintaining the display in a predetermined orientation relative to a user of the electronic device and regardless of the movement of the input device. The means for maintaining the display in the predetermined orientation can include the use of gravity to maintain the predetermined orientation as shown in the embodiments of
The relative motion between brackets 42,44 and between the bracket 42 and the input device can be fixed or locked using lockout levers. A lockout feature could be included to disable the swivel motion on one or more axes. For example, a lockout lever 54 can lock the swivel bearing 50 such that only relative up and down (dive and climb) movement of the input device 36 is possible when the swivel bearings 46 and 48 are unlocked. In other words, left and right (or counter-clockwise and clockwise) movement of the input device 36 will cause the display 34 to move left and right respectively when swivel bearing 50 is locked. In another example, a lockout lever 52 can lock the swivel bearing 48 (and effectively 46) such that only relative left and right movement of the input device 36 is possible when the swivel bearing 50 is unlocked. If all swivel bearings are left unlocked, then the input device 36 and the display 34 can move relative to each other left and right as well as up and down. Assuming that the swivel bearings are properly lubricated and the electronic apparatus is appropriately balanced, the display should remain in a first orientation relative to the left/right movement or the up/down movement of the input device 36. For appropriate balance, the electronic apparatus 32 or the electronic controller device 30 can further include a position adjustment device 33 for fine tuning an orientation of the display using a shiftable weight or a moving pivot in order to change the center of gravity of the electronic apparatus 32. Also note that the lockout levers can be used to dampen relative motion of the electronic apparatus 32 in one orientation or another instead of completely locking out such movement. Thus, the electronic controller apparatus 30 can include a damping adjustment as described or in some other form to reduce excessive “swinging” of the display in very active games for example. In any event, a position adjustment could be included to allow for fine tuning of the display orientation. For an electrical solution, this can be an adjustment knob.
Referring to
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The electronic controller apparatus 100 can use a controller or processor 112 to receive inputs from the electronic sensors and further provide output signals to drive the motors 108 and 110. The motor 108 can be driven to move the display 102 along a first axis or orientation while the motor 110 can be driven to move the display 102 along a second axis or orientation. Note, that the present invention is not limited in the number of orientations or motors used. The electronic sensors 104 and 105 can be MEMS accelerometers that can be used to drive small electric motors (108 and 110) to maintain the display in a given orientation.
Referring once again to
The sensor 104 can reside within the display to detect an orientation of the display or measure the display tilt which can be used to drive the motors to move the display so that the display remains level or in a given orientation. Referring to
Note that each of the embodiments above may need to transmit signals from their respective input devices to their respective displays. Although the means for sending information between input devices and a display on a game controller might present formidable challenges, particularly through articulated joints, several alternatives such as flexible multi-stranded wires, sliding contact rings with brushes, flexible printed circuits (“flex circuits”), and wireless transmission techniques (for example, using Bluetooth) can provide a robust and durable solution to overcome such challenges. Of course, a wireless transmission technique can likely eliminate many of the less than optimal mechanical and electrical interfaces in such an embodiment.
In light of the foregoing description of the invention, it should be recognized that the present invention can be realized in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. A method and system for controlled display orientation according to the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or processor, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems or processors (such as a microprocessor and a DSP). Any kind of computer system, or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein, is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.
Additionally, the description above is intended by way of example only and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, except as set forth in the following claims.
