Abstract:
A video game controller and a method of operating the controller are provided. The controller includes: a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion; a console interface for coupling with a game console; a tremolo arm extending from the body portion of the housing, said tremolo arm being rotatable about a first axis; and an angular detector coupled to the console interface for detecting angular rotation of the tremolo arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   Video game systems have become extremely popular in recent years, particularly the systems designed for home use. These video game systems typically include a console containing a power supply, CPU, and software for operating the console. The console typically includes an interface for reading a storage medium (e.g., a CD-ROM) containing the software for a particular game, a video interface for coupling with a display, and one or more controller interfaces for coupling with one or more game controllers. Over the years, different game controllers have been developed which enable a user to interact with the video games by manipulating the various inputs provided on the controller. Typically, the game console will be sold bundled with a generic controller for use with the majority of games compatible with that console. This generic controller may include several directional control buttons and several multi-purpose buttons. These buttons may operate as simple electrical switches indicating one of two states (e.g., pressed or not pressed) or may communicate an analog signal indicating a variety of states (e.g., how far a joystick is moved from center). 
   In some cases, specialized controllers for particular games or particular types of games have been developed in order to provide an increased sense a realism for the user. For example, one controller for use with driving simulation games includes a steering wheel, a shifter, and foot-operated pedals. Another controller for use with first person shooter games is shaped like a gun and includes a trigger for controlling the firing of a weapon on screen. These video game controllers must be entertaining to use, while being sufficiently durable so as to survive extended use. However, because these specialized controllers are only used with a limited number of game titles, the controllers cannot be prohibitively expensive to make. 
   The guitar is a very popular musical instrument, particularly among young adults, who are also a prime demographic for video games. Electric guitars utilize electromagnetic pickups, which sense the vibrations of the guitar strings electronically and route an electronic signal to an amplifier and speaker. Some electric guitars include a tremolo arm (sometimes referred to as whammy bars or vibrato bars) to alter the sound of the guitar. These tremolo arms are attached to the bridge and/or tailpiece of an electric guitar to enable the player to quickly vary the tension of the strings temporarily, thereby changing the pitch to create a vibrato, portamento, or pitch bend effect. 
   Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a video game controller that simulates the operation of a guitar while being realistic, entertaining, durable, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. 
   SUMMARY 
   In accordance with the present invention, a video game controller is provided. The video game controller includes: a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion; a console interface for coupling with a game console; a tremolo arm extending from the body portion of the housing, said tremolo arm being rotatable about a first axis; and an angular detector coupled to the console interface for detecting angular rotation of the tremolo arm. 
   In accordance with other embodiments, a video game controller includes: a guitar-shaped housing comprising a body portion and a neck portion; a console interface for coupling with a game console; a tremolo arm extending from the body portion of the housing, said tremolo arm being rotatable about a first axis; and an angular detection means coupled to the console interface for detecting angular rotation of the tremolo arm. 
   In accordance with other embodiments, a method of operating a video game controller having a guitar-shaped housing is provided. The method includes: detecting a strum by a user on a strum interface of the input device; transmitting a first signal to a game console, said first signal corresponding to the strum; detecting an angular position of a tremolo arm extending from a body portion of the housing, said tremolo arm being rotatable about a first axis; and transmitting a second signal to the game console, said second signal corresponding to the detected angular position of the tremolo arm. 
   Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the features in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims attached hereto. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a video game controller in a string instrument-shaped housing, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom view of a tremolo arm assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the tremolo arm assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the tremolo arm assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of the video system, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and mechanical, compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiments of the present invention is defined only by the claims of the issued patent. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a video game controller in a guitar-shaped housing, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, the game controller  100  comprises a guitar-shaped housing  102  having a cord  104  for connection with a video game console (not shown). The housing  102  may come in a variety of shapes, but in this embodiment is styled after the SG guitar by Gibson USA. 
   The housing  102  includes a body portion  106 , a neck portion  108 , and a head portion  110 . The body portion  106  comprises a pickguard  116 , a strum interface  120 , a tremolo bar  202 , and a pair of control buttons  122   a - 122   b . The control buttons  122   a - 122   b  may correspond to “Start” and “Select” for controlling the operation of a video game. A pair of strap buttons  124  may be provided for connection with a strap (not shown) for supporting the controller  100  from a user&#39;s neck. The neck portion  108  comprises a fretboard interface  112  including a plurality of fret buttons  114  (five buttons  114  are provided in the illustrated embodiment). 
   Embodiments of the game controller  100  may be utilized in conjunction with any of a variety of video game systems. In one embodiment, the game controller  100  is configured for use with the PlayStation 2 video game console by Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. 
     FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a video game system  500 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cord  104  terminates at a standard console connector (not shown) which is removably couplable with a controller port  512  on the PlayStation 2 video game console  510 . Control logic  550  is provided in the game controller  100  for generating control signals to be transmitted to the video game console  510  in response to detection of a user&#39;s interaction with the fretboard interface  112 , the strum interface  120 , the control buttons  122   a - 122   b , and the tremolo arm  130 . The connector, the control logic  550 , and the signals transmitted by the game controller  100  to the game console  510  via the cord  104  may be defined by standards established by the video game console manufacturer. The video game console  510 , in turn, includes audio and video outputs for connection with a television  530  or other display. Typically, the display will include both a video display and an audio output, such as speakers. In some cases, the audio output will be provided by a separate sound system. 
   In contrast with actual guitars, the guitar controller  100  does not include strings. Instead, the musician&#39;s fingering of the strings on the fretboard is simulated by the pressing of the fret buttons  114  and the strumming of the strings is simulated by the strumming of the strum interface  120 . A suitable guitar controller  100  is described in greater detail in co-pending patent application entitled, “STRUM INPUT FOR A VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER”, by Jamie J. Yang and Johnnie Tam, filed on Apr. 12, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     FIG. 2  is a bottom view of a tremolo arm assembly  200 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the tremolo arm assembly  200 , and  FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the tremolo arm assembly  200 . 
   The tremolo arm assembly  200  comprises a tremolo bar  202  mounted to a semicircular base  210 . The tremolo bar  202  and a portion of the semicircular base  210  extend through an opening  132  in the body portion  106  of the controller  100 . The distal end of the tremolo bar  202  extending out of the body portion  106  is covered with a rubber tip  204  to improve the ease with which the user may grip and manipulate the tremolo bar  202 . 
   The tremolo arm assembly  200  further comprises an angular position detector  240 . In this embodiment, the angular detector  240  comprises a dial-control potentiometer  250  having a shaft  252  and three output leads  254 . A frame  230  has an opening  232  which receives the shaft  252 . A return assembly  220  comprises a pair of arms  222 ,  224 , which include openings  228  through which the shaft  252  is received. Finally, the distal end of the shaft  252  is coupled to an opening  212  in the semicircular base  210  such that rotation of the base  210  about the primary axis P causes the shaft  252  to rotate together with the base  210 . 
   The angular position of the tremolo bar base  210  about the primary axis P is detected by the angular detector  240 . In particular, rotation of the shaft  252  effects a change in the resistance of the potentiometer  250 . In this embodiment, a power supply in the video game console  510  supplies a voltage to the potentiometer  250  via the cord  104 . The angular position of the shaft  252  determines the resistance of the potentiometer  250 , thereby altering the current through the circuit. The video game console  510  includes an analog-to-digital converter to convert the analog signal from the potentiometer  250  into a digital signal which can be processed by the control circuitry of the video game console  510 . 
   In accordance with other embodiments, the detection of the angular position of the tremolo arm assembly  200  may be accomplished in other ways. For example, the analog-to-digital converter may be provided in the controller  100  so that the controller  100  provides digital signals to the video game console  510  corresponding to the angular position of the tremolo arm base  210 . In yet other embodiments, the angular position may be detected using mechanisms other than a potentiometer. For example, digital position sensors, such as optical sensors, may be used to detect the position of the tremolo arm base  210 . These optical sensors can provide an indication of angular position and/or angular velocity with a high level of granularity, similar to an analog potentiometer-based detector but with increased accuracy. Thus, the angular position of the tremolo arm base  210  about the primary axis P can be both detected digitally and communicated digitally to the video game console  510 . 
   The return assembly  220  works in conjunction with the frame  230  to limit the range of motion of the tremolo bar  202  and to provide a return force so as to return the tremolo bar  202  to the default position when moved by the user. In addition, the return assembly  220  provides resistance to the rotation of the tremolo bar  202  so as to better simulate the actual operation of a tremolo arm in an electric guitar. 
   In this embodiment, the return assembly  220  comprises a first arm  222 , a second arm  224 , and a spring  226 . The first and second arms  222 ,  224  are aligned to provide an opening  228  through which the potentiometer shaft  252  is received. The spring  226  connects the distal ends of the first and second arms  222 ,  224 . 
   The frame  230  includes a tab  238  which is received between the arms  222 ,  224  and a pair of projections  234 ,  236  which are configured to limit the movement of the arms  222 ,  224 . The base  210  includes a flange  214 , which is also received between the arms  222 ,  224  adjacent the tab  238  to set the default position of the arms  222 ,  224 . 
   When the tremolo arm  202  is rotated about the primary axis P, the flange  214  presses against one of the arms  222 ,  224  (e.g., first arm  222 ) so as to cause the arm to rotate about the primary axis P as well. As described above, the spring  226  connects the distal ends of the arms  222 ,  224 . However, as the first arm  222  rotates, the second arm  224  is prevented from rotating with the first arm  222  by the tab  238 . Thus, the spring  226  will expand as the distal ends of the arms  222 ,  224  separate by an increasing distance. This provides a counterforce against the rotation of the tremolo bar  202  by the user, so as to provide the user with a sense of resistance to the movement. This simulates the resistance provided when a musician operates a tremolo arm in an actual guitar in order to vary the tension in the strings. The user will be able to continue to rotate the tremolo arm  202  until the first arm  222  contacts the first projection  234 . The first projection  234  limits the extent to which the first arm  222  may rotate, thereby limiting the range of rotation for the tremolo arm  202 . 
   If the user holds the tremolo arm  202  in the fully rotated position, the spring  226  will continue to apply a return force urging the tremolo arm  202  back into the default position, as shown in  FIGS. 3-4 . Once the user releases the tremolo arm  202 , the spring  226  will contract to bring the distal ends of the arms  222 ,  224  together, thereby returning the arm  202  to the default position. 
   Similarly, if the tremolo arm  202  is rotated in the opposite direction, the second arm  224  will rotate until the second arm  224  contacts the second projection  236 , and when the tremolo arm  202  is released, the spring  226  will return the arm  202  to the default position. 
   In the illustrated embodiment, the tremolo bar  202  has a proximal end  206  which is rotatably mounted to the base  210  so that the tremolo bar  202  may be freely rotated about the axis defined by the proximal end  206  (shown in  FIGS. 3-4  as secondary axis S). In this embodiment, the rotation of the tremolo bar  202  about the proximal end axis is not detected by the controller  100  and therefore does not cause a control signal to be transmitted to the video game console  510 . Only rotation about the primary axis P is detected by the controller  100  and communicated to the video game console  510 . Thus, the rotation about the proximal end axis has no effect on gameplay. This is similar to the operation of a tremolo arm in an actual electric guitar. This design enables the tremolo arm to be adjusted to the most comfortable position for use by the user and to be rotated out of the way so as not to interfere with strumming. This also enables the user to operate the tremolo arm with an increased visual flourish by moving the tremolo arm about in a dramatic fashion. If the tremolo arm was constrained to movement about a single axis, the user would be much more limited in how the tremolo arm could be manipulated. 
   In operation, the controller  100  will typically be used in conjunction with a compatible video game running on the video game console. This game will generally provide cues to the user to indicate when and how the user should interact with the controller  100 . For example, the video game software running on the console may cause the display to depict colors and/or shapes to indicate which fret buttons  114  to hold down while strumming on the strum interface  120 , and the movement of these colors and/or shapes on the display will indicate the timing of the strumming. Points or other incentives are provided each time the user holds down the appropriate fret button  114  while strumming on the strum interface  120  at the appropriate time. 
   At certain points during the game, the display may indicate to the user that after strumming the strum interface  120 , the user should manipulate the tremolo bar  202 . When one or more fret buttons  114  are held down and the strum interface  120  is strummed, the software will generate a note or chord to be played by the audio system (e.g., the television  530 ). Then, when the tremolo arm  202  is rotated about the primary axis P, the software will modulate the pitch of the note or chord being played. 
   The tremolo arm  202  may be manipulated in a variety of ways to produce a modified pitch. In contrast with a typical controller button, which provides a binary “on/off” signal, the angular detector  240  is configured to detect a plurality of different positions of the tremolo bar  202 . As a result, the extent and speed with which the tremolo bar  202  is rotated can be used to determine nature of the sound modulation. For example, the extent to which the tremolo bar  202  is rotated may determine the extent to which the pitch of the sound is varied, such that a small movement of the tremolo arm  202  would result in a small change in pitch, while a large movement of the tremolo arm  202  would result in a large change in pitch. In addition, the speed with which the tremolo bar  202  is rotated can be used to control the modulation of sound. For example, if the tremolo bar  202  is quickly moved to the fully rotated position (e.g., until the arm  222  contacts the projection  234 ), the change in pitch will be sudden, and if the tremolo bar  202  is slowly moved to the fully rotated position, the change in pitch will be gradual. 
   In addition, the user&#39;s manipulation of the tremolo arm assembly  200  can be used to sustain the last note or chord played. The software may operate such that the user must rotate the tremolo bar  202  a certain distance or at a certain speed in order to maintain the sound and thereby score points. 
   Embodiments of the present invention may provide various advantages not provided by prior art systems. The controller can provide a more realistic hardware interface to video game software running on the video game console. For example, the use of the tremolo arm assembly  200  enables an analog detection of movement of the tremolo bar  202 . The detection of both the extent of rotation and speed of rotation can be used to produce differing results in the videogame. This type of rotational and velocity detection would normally not be detectable using a standard binary switch. 
   While the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or figures described. For example, in the embodiments described above, the movement of the tremolo arm  202  is only detected about a single axis. In other embodiments, movement of the tremolo arm  202  in other directions or about other axes may be detected and used by the video game software to modulate or otherwise control the sound being produced. In addition, the precise shape, size, and arrangement of the tremolo arm interface may vary. 
   Therefore, it should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.