Abstract:
A wireless control unit includes a controller having wireless transmitter circuitry for transmitting game information, and a single console interface/adapter for converting a plurality of the communication ports of the game console into wireless receivers/transmitters. A single console interface/adapter converts multiple game console ports. The console interface/adapter may also includes an additional communication port (i.e., pass-through) so as to provide the user with access to the used communication port while the interface/adapter is operably disposed within the communication port of the game console.

Description:
[0001]     The instant application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/071,591 filed Mar. 4, 2005 which claims domestic priority to U.S. provisional application 60/647,800 each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and claimed as priority. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present application generally relates to wireless electronic device controllers and accessories therefor. More particularly, the invention relates to wireless electronic device control units incorporating dual-transmitter/receiver adapters for the game console.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0003]     Home video game systems generally have a game console coupled to a television monitor and one or more game controllers connected to the console which permit user interaction with a game being played. Most video game systems are sold with game controllers that are connected to the console through a hard-wire link. More recently, wireless game controller accessories have been developed which provide players with more freedom of movement. Such wireless controller accessories replicate the basic control features found on conventional hard-wired controllers but use infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF) or other electromagnetic radiation to send signals to the console.  
         [0004]     To operate the video game system, a user (or player) inserts a game program which may be stored in a game cartridge or on a compact disc into the console and typically depresses a start switch to begin play of the particular game programmed into the cartridge or on the compact disc. As a game is played, a player or players control various visual aspects of the game using either the hard-wired or wireless controllers. For example, certain video games allow players to maneuver persons or aliens over various types of terrain, through tunnels, under water and over other various obstacles in order to score points. Some of these video gaines allow players to fly planes, helicopters, tanks and the like to attack various installations and score points. Other video gaines allow players to maneuver a person and to fire weapons at program generated images or at images of a person controlled by another player. All of these video aspects of the gaming industry are well known to those of skill in the art.  
         [0005]     Some current wireless game controllers communicate with a console interface that communicates with the game console through a game port designed to receive a communication cable. The console interface (i.e., an adapter) plugs into the game port and transmits and receives control signals to and from a plurality of wireless controllers. Conventional console interfaces are limited to communication with a single player and are limited in their connection techniques with the game console.  
         [0006]     The need exists for a more versatile multi-function console interface for converting wired communication ports to accommodate wireless communication with more than one game controller.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present application provides various embodiments of wireless game control units including a multi-function game console interface that interfaces with more than one communication port on a game console to convert the plurality of game ports to transmit and receive signals in a wireless manner.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment, the wireless control unit includes (1) at least two controllers each having at least one user operable switch and each having wireless transmitter circuitry for transmitting game information and (2) a multi-function console interface/adapter having wireless receiver circuitry for receiving the game information from both of the controllers and for modifying the game information so that the game information signal is sent from the console interface to the console through the appropriate console game port.  
         [0009]     The multi-function console interface/adapter is configured to provide an adaptable connection with the game ports of the game console. In addition, the circuit board of the multi-function interface/adapter is designed and configured to discriminate the signals received from a plurality of wireless controllers.  
         [0010]     These and other benefits of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the following description and associated drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a video game system incorporating a wireless controller unit according to the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side-elevational view of a controller for the wireless control unit according to the present application;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the controller of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the controller of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of transmitter/receiver circuitry for the controller of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of transmitter/receiver circuitry for the console interface of the wireless controller unit;  
         [0017]      FIGS. 7-9  is an illustration of one embodiment of the transmitter/receiver adapter according to the present invention:  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The present application provides a wireless control unit for video game systems including a dual-function transmitter/receiver adapter incorporated into the wireless control system. Preferably, the wireless control unit transfers game information by radio frequency (RF) transmissions. However, other known electromagnetic radiation techniques, such as infrared (IR) transmissions, may be employed. In accordance with other embodiments (to be discussed later), the combined use of IR and RF wireless communication protocols provides superior communication results between a game controller and a game console. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a video game system incorporating the wireless control unit of the present application is shown. In this embodiment, the video game system  10  includes a game console  12 , a video outputting device  14 , such as a television monitor, and the wireless control unit  16 . The game console  12  includes a housing having at least one controller (or game) connection port and a game cartridge port. A game cartridge has a video game program stored therein. Alternatively, the console  12  may include a disc drive mechanism in which a disc, such as a compact disc, has stored thereon a video game program.  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the wireless control unit  16  according to the present application includes a pair of controllers  20  and a single console interface  50 . The plurality of controllers  20  and the single console interface  50  are configured for bidirectional wireless communication. For bidirectional wireless communication, the controllers  20  and the console interface  50  both would include the transmitter logic  42  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) and the receiver logic  70  (shown in  FIG. 6 ). The transmitter and receiver circuitry for each player playing a game would operate at different frequency bands (or use different coding schemes). Information transmitted from the controller to the console interface includes game information, and information from the console interface to the controller includes information to, for example, reconfigure the functions of the switches and information that provides interaction between the controller and a game being played. The information from the console interface to the controller is collectively defined as controller information. Thus, the controller can include a connection port  86  (seen in  FIG. 4 ) for connecting different peripheral devices to the controller which are responsive to the controller information transmitted by the console. Such peripheral devices include memory cartridges, vibrating members (e.g., a rumble pack), and other devices that can respond to controller information transmitted by the console.  
         [0021]     The game console  12  also includes known circuitry for executing the video game program stored in the cartridge or on disc. For example, the console may include a processor, memory and stored system programs for controlling the operation of the console, controller interface circuitry, and audio/video generating and outputting circuitry. An example of suitable game consoles are included in the Nintendo N64®, Xbox®, SEGA Genesis and Sony Playstation®, and Playstation II® game systems. In the video game system  10  according to this embodiment of the present invention, the console  12  is connected to a video outputting apparatus  14  via a direct wire link. Further, the wireless control unit  16  can be connected to the console by, for example, a direct wire link or by mating connectors.  
         [0022]     As seen in  FIGS. 2-4 , the controller  20  has a housing  22  defined by a central control section  24 , left and right side handles  26 ,  28  extending out from the central control section  24  and then angled downwardly. Since in this embodiment signals are transmitted from the controllers  20  to the single console interface  50  via radio frequency (RF), the housing  22  preferably includes a transmission window  32  for emitting RF signals. However, if the transmission of control information from the controller  20  to the console interface  50  is by other electromagnetic radiation techniques then a transmission window may not be necessary. A plurality of user activated switches  40  are mounted to the housing  22  and accessible from outer surface portions of the housing  22 . The controller  20  also includes a battery (not shown) that supplies power to the internal components of the controller.  
         [0023]     Typically, a player grips the side handles  26 ,  28  during play and operates the switches corresponding to the handles gripped, where rocker switch  38  and push-button switches  40  are the user activated switches. Rocker switch  38  can be used for two or three dimensional movement of an object controlled by the controller  20  and push-button switches  40  can be used for performing control functions associated with the object. Further, the orientation of the switches  40  and the three handle configuration of the controller  20  also facilitates single handed as well as two handed gripping and operation of the controller by a player. For single handed gripping and operation, a player can grip the center handle  30  and joysticks  34  and trigger switches  36  are the user activated switches. Joysticks  34  can be used for two or three dimensional movement of an object controlled by the controller  20 , and trigger switch  36  can be used for performing at least one control function associated with the object. In this embodiment, trigger switch  36  is typically used to fire weapons during a game.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the controller  20  includes transmitter/receiver circuitry  42  operatively connected to the various switches, which sends and receives game information from the switches, formats the game information into, for example, bit streams for wireless transmission, and transmits the game information to the console interface  50 . The transmitter/receiver circuitry  42  includes control logic  44 , transmitter/receiver driver logic  46  and at least one transmitter source  48 . The control logic  44  receives the game information from the various switches, and encodes the game information into, for example, a serial bit stream which is suitable for wireless transmission preferably by infrared. The bit stream may be configured such that one or more bits in the stream represent one switch on the controller  20 . The transmitter circuitry  46  receives the bit stream from the control logic  44  and amplifies (if necessary) and modulates the bit stream at a predefined frequency band (e.g., 38 kHz) to energize at least one infrared source  48  (e.g., an LED) which emits infra-red signals.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the console interface  50  also includes transmitter/receiver circuitry  70  that receives the transmitted bit stream, extracts the game information from the bit stream, formats the game information into a form suitable for processing by the game console  12 , and transfers the game information to the game console  12 . More particularly, in an IR embodiment, the receiver circuitry  70  includes a sensor  72 , such as a photosensitive transistor, which receives the infrared signals from the controller  20 , and receiver logic  74  that amplifies the received bit stream, demodulates the amplified bit stream and decodes the game information from the bit stream. Console interface logic  76  then formats the game information for transfer to the game console  12  via, for example, cable  62  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). In a contemplated RF embodiment, sensor  72  would be an RF antenna. The embodiment of  FIG. 7  includes a central portion  701  containing the internal transmission/reception circuitry and the control logic, and two flexible cables  703 / 705  leading to separate connectors  707 / 708  with appropriate pin out arrangement for connection to an X-Box gaming console. The embodiment of  FIG. 8  includes two connectors  803 ,  805  interconnected by a single flexible cable  807 . The transmission/reception circuitry and control logic are contained within a portion  801  of the first connector  803  assembly formed of a substantially unitary body. The flexible cable  807  providing the ability to establish connection between the connectors  803 , 805  with the gaming console (such as the Playstation II™) and accommodate tolerances in sizing between the connection portions of such consoles as well as varied generations within a gaming platform.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 9   a  - 9   b  additional advantages to the connector of  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 9   b  is substantially the identical console interface of  FIG. 7 . However, as can be seen in  FIGS. 9A , the console interface includes a pair of memory/expansion portions integrated into the central console portion. Because the connectors  707 / 708  occupy the expansion portion of the gaming console, the ports  911 ,  912  serve to establish connection of such devices while utilizing the wireless console interface. The internal circuitry can either integrate the control communication between the ports  911 ,  912  and the console, or selectively allow a bypass or direct communication for the memory port or peripheral device with the console. The overall arrangement facilitates the ability to convert the gaming console to a wireless adapter while maintaining the expansion/memory connection with the ports.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  represents an alternate embodiment of FIGS.  8 / 4 . In such an arrangement the controller includes an auxiliary controller portion connection  1086  to allow direct wired connection between the console and controller via conventional releasable cable  1010 . When batteries are depleted in the controller, a user may maintain the ability to play by simply connecting directly to the gaming console. A passive noise filter is also included in the cable  101   0  to facilitate clean transmission of control signals between the console and controller.  
         [0028]     While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments forming the best mode, various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.