Patent Publication Number: US-11660537-B2

Title: Apparatus and method for enhancing a condition in a gaming application

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/950,309, filed Nov. 17, 2020, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/957,361, filed Apr. 19, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,870,055, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/156,500, filed May 17, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,975,048, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/558,230, filed Sep. 11, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,364,750. The contents of each of the foregoing are hereby incorporated by reference into this application as if set forth herein in full. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to gaming applications, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for enhancing a condition in a gaming application. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is common today for gamers to utilize more than one gaming accessory. This is especially true of gamers who play Massively Multiplayer On-line (MMO) games in a team or individual configuration. Gamers can have at their disposal accessories such as a keyboard, a general purpose gaming pad, a mouse, a gaming console controller, a headset with a built-in microphone to communicate with other players, a joystick, a computer display, or other common gaming accessories. 
     A gamer can frequently use a combination of these accessories in one game (e.g., headset, a keyboard, and mouse). Efficient management and utilization of these accessories can frequently impact a gamer&#39;s ability to compete. 
     Accessory management can have utility in other disciplines which may not relate to gaming applications. Efficient use of accessories in these other disciplines can be important to users. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS.  1 A,  1 B,  1 C,  2 , and  3    depict illustrative embodiments of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) application according to the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  4 - 6    depict illustrative methods describing the operation of the AMS application; 
         FIG.  7    depicts an illustrative embodiment for detecting sounds according to the method of  FIG.  6   ; and 
         FIG.  8    depicts an illustrative diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One embodiment of the present disclosure entails a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions to receive a selection of at least one of a plurality of sounds generated by a gaming application, receive a request to reduce or augment the selected at least one sound to enhance at least one tactical condition associated with the gaming application, modify sound produced by the gaming application according to the request and the selected at least one sound, and present the modified sound. 
     One embodiment of the present disclosure entails a gaming console having a controller to receive a request to decrease or increase at least one of a plurality of sounds generated by a gaming application to enhance at least one condition in the gaming application, and modify sound produced by the gaming application according to the request. 
     One embodiment of the present disclosure entails a method to modify sound produced by a gaming application responsive to a request to reduce or augment at least one of a plurality of sounds generated by the gaming application to enhance at least one condition associated with the gaming application 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 C and  2 - 3    depict illustrative embodiments of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) application according to the present disclosure. The AMS application can operate in a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, a mainframe computer, or a gaming console. A gaming console can represent a gaming device such as a Playstation 3™, a Wii™, or an Xbox360™. Other present and next generation gaming consoles are contemplated. The AMS application can also operate in other computing devices with less computing resources such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or a media player (such as an iPOD™). From these illustrations it would be apparent to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that the AMS application can operate in any device with computing resources. 
       FIGS.  4 - 6    depict illustrative methods  400 - 600  describing the operation of the AMS application as shown in  FIGS.  1 - 3   . Method  400  can begin with step  402  in which the AMS application is invoked in a computing device. The invocation step can result from a user selection of the AMS application from a menu or iconic symbol presented on a desktop of the computing device by an operating system (OS) managing operations thereof. In step  404 , the AMS application can detect by way of drivers in the OS a plurality of operationally distinct accessories communicatively coupled to the computing device. The accessories can be coupled to the computing device by a tethered interface (e.g., USB cable), a wireless interface (e.g., Bluetooth or Wireless Fidelity—WiFi), or combinations thereof. 
     In the present context, an accessory can represent any type of device which can be communicatively coupled to the computing device and which can control aspects of the OS and/or a software application operating in the computing device. An accessory can represent for example a keyboard, a gaming pad, a mouse, a gaming console controller, a joystick, a microphone, or a headset with a microphone—just to mention a few. The keyboard and gaming pad represent accessories of a similar category since their operational parameters are alike. 
     A mouse, on the other hand, represents an accessory having disparate operational parameters from the keyboard or gaming pad. For instance, the operational parameters of a keyboard generally consist of alphanumeric keys, control keys (e.g., Shift, Alt, Ctrl), and function keys while the operational parameters of a mouse consist of navigation data generated by a tracking device such as a laser sensor, buttons to invoke GUI selections, and settings thereof (e.g., counts or dots per inch, acceleration, scroll speed, jitter control, line straightening control, and so on). Such distinctions can be used to identify disparate categories of accessories. The joysticks, game controllers or any other input devices represent additional categories of accessories supported by the AMS. 
     In step  406 , the AMS application can present a GUI  101  such as depicted in  FIG.  1    with operationally distinct accessories such as the keyboard  108  and mouse  110 . The GUI  101  presents the accessories  108 - 116  in a scrollable section  117 . One or more accessories can be selected by a user with a common mouse pointer. In this illustration, the keyboard  108  and mouse  110  were selected with a mouse pointer for customization. Upon selecting the keyboard  108  and mouse  110  in section  117 , the AMS application presents the keyboard  108  and mouse  110  in split windows  118 ,  120 , respectively, to help the user during the customization process. 
     In step  408 , the AMS application can be programmed to detect a user-selection of a particular software application such as a game. This step can be the result of the user entering in a Quick Search field  160  the name of a gaming application (e.g., World of Warcraft™). Upon identifying a gaming application, the AMS application can retrieve in step  410  from a remote or local database gaming application actions which can be presented in a scrollable section  139  of the GUI represented as “Actions”  130 . The actions can be tactical actions  132 , communication actions  134 , menu actions  136 , and movement actions  138 , or any other types of actions, which can be used to invoke and manage features of the gaming application. 
     The actions presented descriptively in section  130  of the GUI can represent a sequence of accessory input functions which a user can stimulate by button depressions, navigation or speech. For example, depressing the left button on the mouse  110  can represent the tactical action “Reload”, while the simultaneous keyboard depressions “Ctrl A” can represent the tactical action “Melee Attack”. For ease of use, the “Actions”  130  section of the GUI is presented descriptively rather than by a description of the input function(s) of a particular accessory. 
     Any one of the Actions  130  can be associated with one or more input functions of the accessories by way of a simple drag and drop action. For instance, a user can select a “Melee Attack” by placing a mouse pointer  133  over an iconic symbol associated with this action. Upon doing so, the symbol can be highlighted to indicate to the user that the icon is selectable. At this point, the user can select the icon by holding the left mouse button and drag the symbol to any of the input functions (e.g., buttons) of the keyboard  108  or mouse  110  to make an association with an input function of one of these accessories. 
     For example, the user can drag the Melee Attack symbol to the right mouse button thereby causing an association between the selection of the right mouse button and the gaming action of a Melee Attack. When the right button of the mouse  110  is selected during normal operation, the AMS application can detect the selection as a “trigger” to generate the key sequence “Ctrl A” which is understood by the gaming application as request for a Melee Attack. The gaming application receives from the AMS application by way of an operating system the “Ctrl A” sequence as if it had been generated by a Qwerty keyboard. 
     With this in mind, attention is directed to step  412  where the AMS application can respond to a user selection of a profile. A profile can be a device profile or master profile invoked by selecting GUI button  156  or  158 , each of which can identify the association of actions with input functions of one or more accessories. If a profile selection is detected in step  412 , the AMS application can retrieve macro(s) and/or prior associations of actions with the accessories as defined by the profile. The actions and/or macros defined in the profile can also be presented in step  416  by the AMS application in the actions column  130  of the GUI  101  to modify or create new associations. 
     In step  418 , the AMS application can also respond to a user selection to create a macro. A macro in the present context can represent a subset of actions that can be presented in the Actions column  130 . Any command which can be recorded by the AMS application can be used to define a macro. A command can represent a sequence of input functions of an accessory, identification of a software application to be initiated by an operating system (OS), or any other recordable stimulus to initiate, control or manipulate software applications. For instance, a macro can represent a user entering the identity of a software application (e.g., instant messaging tool) to be initiated by an OS. 
     A macro can also represent recordable speech delivered by a microphone singly or in combination with a headset for detection by another software application through speech recognition or for delivery of the recorded speech to other parties. In yet another embodiment a macro can represent recordable navigation of an accessory such as a mouse or joystick, recordable selections of buttons on a keyboard, a mouse, or a mouse pad, and so on. Macros can also be combinations of the above illustrations. Macros can be created from the GUI  101  by selecting a “Record Macro” button  148 . The macro can be given a name and category in user-defined fields  140  and  142 . 
     Upon selecting the Record Macro button  148 , a macro can be generated by selection of input functions on an accessory (e.g., Ctrl A, speech, etc.) and/or by manual entry in field  144  (e.g., typing the name and location of a software application to be initiated by an OS). Once the macro is created, it can be tested by selecting button  150  which can repeat the sequence specified in field  144 . The clone button  152  can be selected to replicate the macro sequence if desired. Fields  152  can also present timing characteristics of the stimulation sequence in the macro with the ability to customize such timing. Once the macro has been fully defined, selection of button  154  records the macro in step  420 . The recording step can be combined with a step for adding the macro to the associable items Actions column  130 , thereby providing the user the means to associate the macro with input functions of the accessories. 
     In step  422 , the AMS application can respond to drag and drop associations between actions and input functions of the keyboard  108  and the mouse  110 . If an association is detected, the AMS application can proceed to step  424  where it can determine if a profile has been identified in step  412  to record the association(s) detected. If a profile has been identified, the associations are recorded in said profile in step  426 . If a profile has not been identified in step  412 , the AMS application can create a profile in step  428  for recording the detected associations. In the same step, the user can name the newly created profile as desired. The newly created profile can also be associated with one or more software applications in step  430  for future reference. 
     Once the associations have been recorded in the profile, the AMS application can proceed to step  432  to determine if the user desires to apply a sound selection and adjustment scheme to be applied to a particular gaming application (such as World of Warcraft™).  FIGS.  1 B- 1 C  provide illustrative embodiments of GUIs for applying a sound scheme to a gaming application. Step  432  can be invoked by selecting GUI button  143  of  FIG.  1 A  with a mouse pointer. 
     Suppose that the AMS application has presented the Actions portion  130  of  FIG.  1 A  based on the user identifying the gaming application World of Warcraft. By knowing the gaming application from which Actions  130  are being associated to accessories, the AMS application can proceed to step  434  where it can retrieve from a library (e.g., common database) adjustable sounds which it can present a user in GUI  180  shown in  FIG.  1 B . The AMS application can be equipped with a library containing information relating to sounds produced by a plurality of gaming applications. 
     The supplier of the AMS application can sample sounds from several gaming applications using common sampling techniques, and thereby build a library that can be supplied to users with the AMS application. The supplier of the AMS application can also provide on-line updates to the library to provide users enhanced services. The information contained in the library can include without limitation a descriptor of gaming sounds (e.g., footsteps, weapon reload, ammunition sounds: various missile types, bullets types, etc.), pre-recorded sounds, frequency spectrum analysis of said sounds, and so on. In sum, the library used by the AMS application can include any suitable information for describing sounds generated by a gaming application. The AMS application can use this information in conjunction with common signal processing techniques to detect sounds generated by a gaming application, and in some instances, process said sounds in a manner desirable to the user to produce an adjusted gaming sound. 
     GUI  180  of  FIG.  1 B  can provide a user a listing of adjustable sounds which can be selected with common checkbox GUI elements. Once a user selects the OK button of GUI  180 , the AMS application can replace GUI  180  with GUI  190  of  FIG.  1 C . GUI  190  can provide the user a means to augment or reduce the sound energy of particular gaming sounds produced by a gaming application. A user can nearly eliminate a particular gaming sound (e.g., ambient sound) or increase the audio energy of a select sound type above a default audio standard generated by the gaming application. In the illustration of  FIG.  1 C , the less bars shown the less audio energy generated by the AMS application for a particular sound, and vice-versa. 
     A user can easily adjust audio energy by selecting a particular sound category using a mouse pointer (e.g., footsteps). Once a sound category is selected (noticeable by the AMS application highlighting the category) the user can increase or decrease the audio bars by depressing keyboard keys (e.g., up arrow or “+” key for more energy, down arrow or “−” key for less energy). Once the user has made adjustments to the selected sound types, the user can select the OK button which then invokes step  436  which records the sound selections and adjustments. The recorded selections and adjustments for a particular gaming application can be in turn stored in the profile selected at step  412 , or created in step  428 . 
     The steps of method  400  in whole or in part can be repeated until a desirable sound scheme and pattern of associations of actions to input functions of the selected accessories has been accomplished. It would be apparent to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that there can be numerous other approaches to accomplish similar results. These undisclosed approaches are contemplated by the present disclosure. 
       FIG.  5    depicts a method  500  in which the AMS application can be programmed to recognize unknown accessories so that method  400  can be applied to them as well. Method  500  can begin with step  502  in which the AMS application detects an unknown accessory such as a new keyboard from an unknown vendor by way of a communicative coupling to a computing device from which the AMS application operates. The AMS application in this instance can receive an identity from the keyboard or the operating system which is not known the AMS application. Upon detecting an unknown accessory, the AMS application in step  504  can present a depiction of an accessory of similar or same category in response to a user providing direction as to the type of accessory (by selecting for example a drop-down menu). Alternatively, or in combination with the user instructions, the AMS application can determine from the information received from the unknown accessory an accessory type. 
     In step  506  the AMS application can receive instructions describing all or a portion of the input functions of the unknown accessory. These instructions can come from a user who defines each input function individually or responds to inquiries provided by the AMS application. The AMS application can for example make an assumption as to the keyboard layout and highlight each key with a proposed function which the user can verify or modify. Once the AMS application has been provided instructions in step  506 , the AMS application can create an accessory identity in step  508  which can be defined by the user. In steps  510  and  512 , the AMS application can associate and record the accessory instructions with the identity for future recognition of the accessory. In step  514 , the AMS application can present a depiction of the new accessory with its identity along with the other selectable accessories in section  117 . 
     Method  500  can provide a means for universal detection and identification of any accessory which can be used to control or manage software applications operating in a computing device. 
       FIG.  6    depicts a method  600  for illustrating the AMS application while a user is utilizing a gaming application. Method  600  can begin with step  601  in which the AMS application monitors sounds generated by a gaming application and adjusts sounds according to sound selections and adjustments recorded in step  436 . Step  436  can be implemented by the AMS application utilizing common sound detection and sound processing techniques. The AMS application can retrieve frequency spectral profiles of the selected sounds from the library referred to in step  434 . The AMS application can monitor sounds generated by the gaming application and search for possible matches utilizing common digital signal processing techniques. For example, the AMS application can digitally sample sound, and translate time domain signals to frequency domain signals for processing purposes utilizing a Fourier transform. By translating between domains, applying common filtering and spectral profile comparison techniques, the AMS application can detect selective sounds such as footsteps, weapon reload, and so on—see illustration of  FIG.  7   . 
     Once the AMS application detects a sound of interest (e.g., weapon reload) it can augment or reduce the audio energy in accordance with the settings applied by the user illustrated in  FIG.  1 C . In order for the user to hear the sound scheme s/he has chosen, the AMS application can substitute the original sound generated by the gaming application with portions of the original sounds adjusted according to the settings defined in  FIG.  1 C . A user will thus hear footsteps louder such as, for example, a 20% increase over the standard sound energy generated by the gaming application for footsteps. The user will also hear weapon reload actions much louder such as, for example, a 35% increase over the standard audio setting used by the gaming application for weapon reload actions. In comparison, ambient sound will be nearly suppressed (e.g., 98% of sound energy removed by the AMS application). 
     Thus in step  601  the AMS application can detect select gaming sounds generated by the gaming application, modify the audio energy of the detected sounds, and generate adjusted audio which can be presented to a user by way of common audio resources (e.g., speakers, or headphone) coupled to a computing device from which the AMS application operates. 
     The AMS application can be further programmed to detect in step  602  tactical conditions from the original sound generated by the gaming application or modified sound generated by the AMS application. A tactical condition can represent for example a weapon reload, drawing a weapon, or some other suitable tactical condition that can be of interest to a gamer. Although not shown in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 C , the AMS application can be programmed to present the user selectable options for defensive or offensive maneuvers which can be invoked automatically when the AMS application detects select gaming sounds generated by a gaming application. 
     For example, when the AMS application detects in step  602  the sound of a player drawing a weapon, the AMS application can be programmed to generate in step  603  a defensive maneuver (e.g., cause the player to drop to the ground to avoid being shot). The AMS application can be programmed to automatically submit a stimulus (or stimuli) to the gaming application to invoke such action when particular sounds are detected. The defensive maneuver can be invoked by the AMS application independent of the user causing the same action by manipulating an accessory such as a gaming controller, keyboard key selections, mouse button selections, or some other accessory input that would generate a stimulus (or stimuli) that would cause the player to drop to the ground. Automatic defensive or offensive maneuvers invoked by the detection of select sounds by the AMS application can provide a gamer a tactical advantage. 
     The AMS application can perform this function by way of an Application Programming Interface (API) of the gaming application. With a known API, the AMS application can monitor sound, and submit to the gaming application defensive or offensive maneuvers in the form of, for example, accessory stimuli to direct the actions of a particular player. 
     Steps  601 - 603  as described above can operate independently of the operations of steps  604 - 626  which implement the accessory association described earlier in method  400 . 
     Turning attention to step  604 , this step can represent monitoring of the stimulation of input functions of one or more accessories communicatively coupled to a computing device from which the AMS application operates. The input functions can correspond to button depressions on a keyboard, gaming pad, or navigation device such as a mouse. The input functions can also represent navigation instructions such as mouse or joystick movements. The input functions can further represent speech supplied by a microphone singly or in combination with a headset. Other existing or future input functions of an accessory detectable by the AMS application is contemplated by the present disclosure. The AMS application can monitor input functions by for example processing human interface device (HID) reports supplied by the accessories to the computing device. 
     Once one or more stimulations have been detected in step  604 , the AMS application can proceed to step  606  to determine if action(s) have been associated with the detected stimulation(s). If for example the stimulations detected correspond to keyboard and mouse button depressions, the AMS application can determine if actions have been associated and recorded for such stimulations. If these stimulations “trigger” one or more actions, the AMS application can proceed to step  608  where it retrieves the stimulation definition of these actions for each accessory reporting a stimulation. In step  610 , the AMS application can substitute the detected stimulations with the stimulations defined by the action. 
     To illustrate this substitution, suppose for example that the detected stimulation was “Ctrl A” simultaneously depressed on a keyboard. Suppose further that an action associated with this stimulus consists of a macro that combines mouse clicks with a navigation of the mouse (e.g., moving the mouse quickly in a forward motion for a given distance), and a request to invoke an instant messaging (IM) session with a particular individual using Skype™ or some other common IM tool. In step  610 , the AMS application would substitute “Ctrl A” for stimulations consisting of the mouse clicks, navigation and a request for an IM application. The substitute stimulations would then be reported in step  612  to an operating system (OS). 
     In step  616 , the OS can determine whether to pass the substitute stimulations to an active software application in operation (e.g., a gaming application) and/or to invoke another software application. The active software application can be operating from the same computer system from which the OS and the AMS application operate or can be operating at a remote system such as an on-line server or family of servers (e.g., World of Warcraft) awaiting stimulation data from the computer system. In this illustration, the macro comprises both stimulation feedback for the active software application and a request to initiate an IM session. Accordingly, the OS conveys in step  618  the mouse stimulation signals to the active software application (e.g., gaming application), and in a near simultaneous fashion invokes the IM session in step  620  with a specific individual (or organization). 
     Referring back to step  606 , the illustrations above cover a scenario in which the AMS application has detected an association of actions to accessory stimuli. If however the AMS application does not detect such an association, then the detected stimulus (or stimuli) supplied by one or more accessories is transmitted to the OS in step  614 . For example, it may be that a stimulation based on the depressions of “Ctrl A” has no particular association to an action. In this case, the AMS application passes this stimulation to the OS with no substitutes. In step  616  the OS can determine if this stimulation invokes a new software application in step  620  or is conveyed to the previously initiated software application. 
     Contemporaneous to the embodiments described above, the AMS application can also record in step  622  statistics relating to the detected accessory stimulations. A portion of the AMS application can operate as a background process which performs statistical analysis on the stimulations detected. By selecting button  104  in  FIG.  1   , the AMS application can provide an updated GUI which illustrates the usage of input functions of one or more accessories for which stimulations were detected in step  604 . For ease of illustration, only a keyboard accessory is shown. In this illustration, certain keys (references  204 ,  206   208 ,  210 ) on the keyboard are color-coded to illustrate the frequency of usage of these keys. 
     A color scale  203  defines the frequency of usage of the input functions of the keyboard. The color scale  203  should not be confused with the color scales of  FIGS.  1 B- 1 C . The first end of the scale (navy blue) represents a single detected depression, while an opposite end of the scale (bright red) represents  500  detected depressions. Based on this scale, the AMS application maps by color in step  624  stimulations of the keyboard. For example, the key grouping  208  depict a color coding with the highest detectable usage, while the F7 key (reference  210 ) indicates the fewest depressions. Keys having zero depressions are not color coded to readily identify the color mapping of keys which were used at least once. 
     The AMS application provides additional functions in a playback panel of the GUI which can help a user understand how the color coded keys were used during an active software application such as a video game. In this section of the GUI, the AMS application can present the user with a playback control function  202  which the user can select to replay, pause, forward or rewind the usage of these keys. When usage playback is selected, the user can for instance see the color coded keys highlighted in real-time with a temporary white border to visualize how the keys were selected. A time clock  204  provides the user the elapsed time of the playback sequence. Button  212  allows the user to retrieve statistics from other sessions, while button  214  provides the user a means to save statistics from a given session. 
     The GUI of  FIG.  2    could have been shown as a split screen with all accessories which generated one or more detected stimulations (e.g., keyboard, mouse, and microphone), each providing statistical symbolic results as described above for the keyboard. Although not shown, split screen embodiments are contemplated by the present disclosure for the GUI of  FIG.  2   . 
     In addition to a symbolic representation as shown in  FIG.  2   , the AMS application can provide the user a means to visualize raw statistics in a table format such as shown in  FIG.  3    by selecting button  212 . The table format shows raw data in section  302  and possible suggestions in section  304  for improving user performance which can be generated by the AMS application in step  626 . Section  302  can be presented in a table format with a column identifying the key being analyzed, its usage, and number of key presses. The user can ascertain from this table the most and least frequently used keys as well as other identifiable patterns. 
     The AMS application can utilize an understanding of the layout of the accessory (in this case, the keyboard) to determine from the statistics ways that the user can improve response time or ergonomic use. For example, the AMS application can determine from a layout analysis that the key combination &lt;Alt .&gt; can be reassigned to a macro based on the trigger &lt;Ctrl F&gt; which could provide the user a faster response time and free up the user&#39;s right hand for other tasks. The AMS application can also provide alternative suggestions. For example, the AMS application can also suggest creating single button macros for each of the key combinations &lt;Alt .&gt; and &lt;Ctrl A&gt; which can be assigned to keys on the keyboard or left and right buttons of a mouse. The latter suggestion of assigning macros to the mouse can help the user free up his/her left hand. 
     Although not shown in section  304 , the AMS application can also be programmed to suggest alternative options for the color scales chosen in  FIGS.  1 B- 1 C . The AMS application can for example detect that the most frequently used keys may lead the user to visualize a color scale better if it were move to another location of the accessory. For example, the color scale of the mouse  110  may be hidden by the user&#39;s hand. Accordingly, the AMS application may recommend that the color scale for enemy proximity be move to another accessory such as the keyboard  108  in an area with minimal use (e.g., the keys above the arrows—Delete, Insert, Page Up/Down, and Home, End, etc.). 
     The AMS application can utilize present and next generation algorithms to determine how to improve response times and ergonomic usage of accessory devices. The AMS application can for example have at its disposal an understanding of the layout of each accessory, the type of software being controlled by the accessory (e.g., World of Warcraft), type of operations commonly used to control the software (e.g., known actions as shown in the actions column  130  of  FIG.  1   ), an understanding of the associations made by other users (e.g., gamers) to improve their performance when controlling the software, and so on. The AMS application can also be adapted to communicate with the active software application by way of an Application Programming Interface (API) to receive additional usage statistics from the software which it can in turn use to improve the user&#39;s performance. The AMS application can also utilize common statistical and behavior modeling techniques to predict the behavior of the user and responses from the software application to identify possible ways to improve the user&#39;s performance. 
     From these illustrations, it would be apparent to an artisan of ordinary skill in the art that innumerable algorithms can be developed to analyze accessory usage and thereby suggest improvements. These undisclosed embodiments are contemplated by the present disclosure. 
     From the foregoing descriptions, it would be evident to an artisan with ordinary skill in the art that the aforementioned embodiments can be modified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims described below. For example, method  400  can be adapted to define more than one programmable layer for an accessory. Such a feature can extend the functionality of an accessory into multi-layer paradigms of input functions. The GUI of  FIG.  1    can be adapted so that a user can specify more than one programmable layer for a specific accessory. 
     The user can also specify which layer to present in  FIG.  1    while associating actions. If for instance layer 1 is shown, the GUI of  FIG.  1    can present the actions associated in this layer by presenting descriptors superimposed on the input functions (e.g., buttons or keys). When the user switches to layer 2 (e.g., by selecting from a drop-down menu the layer of interest) the accessory can be shown in the GUI with a different set of associated actions. The user can define a macro or identify a key sequence to switch between layers when the accessory is in use. 
     The trigger for switching between layers can be a toggle function (e.g., selecting the tab key on a Qwerty keyboard) to switch between layers in a round robin fashion (layer 1→layer 2→layer 3→to layer 1→and so on). Alternatively, the user can define a hold and release trigger to switch between layers. In this embodiment, the user moves to another layer while pressing a button (e.g., a “Shift” key) and returns to the preceding layer upon its release. In yet another embodiment, the trigger to switch layers can be defined differently per layer. The user can for example select the letter “A” in layer 1 to proceed to layer 2, and select the letter “B” in layer 2 to return to layer 1 or proceed to yet another layer 3. There can be numerous combinations of layers and triggers which can be defined to substantially expand the capability of single accessory. Additionally, triggers can be of any kind, tactile, speech, etc. 
     In another embodiment, method  400  can be adapted so that a user can define super macros and/or super profiles. A super macro can represent nested macros (combinations of macros). Method  400  can be adapted so that the user can customize the timing for executing nested macros. Similarly, a super profile can represent nested profiles (combinations of profiles). A super profile can for example comprise sub-profiles, each sub-profile defining associations of actions to input functions of a particular accessory. 
     A super profile can also comprise sub-profiles, each sub-profile defining a sound scheme for a sub-function of a particular gaming application. A sub-function can represent for example a selection of an avatar from a list of possible avatars in the gaming application. For instance a user of the AMS application can associate a warrior avatar with a desirable sound scheme which can be stored in a sub-profile. The user can in the same instance associate a different sound scheme for a military avatar and store this association in a different sub-profile. Both sub-profiles can then be stored by the AMS application in one super-profile which is associated with the gaming application from which the warrior avatar or military avatar is generated. 
     The user can then select the sub-profile prior to initiating the gaming application. Responsive to this selection, the AMS application can invoke the sound scheme for the selected sub-profile. Alternatively, when the user selects the warrior avatar or the military avatar while the gaming application is in operation, the AMS application can detect the selection by way of an API of the gaming application and automatically select the sub-profile according to the detected avatar selection. 
     In yet another embodiment, method  400  can be adapted to establish audio profiles for headset accessories. When a user selects a headset accessory such as  114 , the AMS application can be adapted to automatically generate GUIs  180  and  190 , respectively, to establish a sound scheme defined by the user as described earlier in steps  434  and  436 . Hence, the steps of method  400  can be reordered or modified in any fashion that may be suitable for establishing associations and/or sound schemes per gaming application. 
     In another embodiment, at least one of methods  400 - 600  can be adapted to operate as an integral part of the gaming application. Accordingly, once actions have been associated with accessories and sound schemes are defined, such settings can be integral to the gaming application. Method  600  can then be applied by the gaming application to provide results similar to those described above. 
     The foregoing embodiments are a subset of possible embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure. Other suitable modifications can be applied to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the reader is directed to the claims for a fuller understanding of the breadth and scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG.  8    depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system  800  within which a set of instructions, when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed above. In some embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client user machine in server-client user network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. 
     The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will be understood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video or data communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
     The computer system  800  may include a processor  802  (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a main memory  804  and a static memory  806 , which communicate with each other via a bus  808 . The computer system  800  may further include a video display unit  810  (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel, a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system  800  may include an input device  812  (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device  814  (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit  816 , a signal generation device  818  (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interface device  820 . 
     The disk drive unit  816  may include a machine-readable medium  822  on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software  824 ) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions  824  may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory  804 , the static memory  806 , and/or within the processor  802  during execution thereof by the computer system  800 . The main memory  804  and the processor  802  also may constitute machine-readable media. 
     Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations. 
     In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the methods described herein are intended for operation as software programs running on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementations can include, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein. 
     The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containing instructions  824 , or that which receives and executes instructions  824  from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a network environment  826  can send or receive voice, video or data, and to communicate over the network  826  using the instructions  824 . The instructions  824  may further be transmitted or received over a network  826  via the network interface device  820 . 
     While the machine-readable medium  822  is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure. 
     The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile) memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape; and carrier wave signals such as a signal embodying computer instructions in a transmission medium; and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listed herein and including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations herein are stored. 
     Although the present specification describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switched network transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents. 
     The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 
     Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. 
     The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.