Accessory Controller for Mapping Auxiliary Inputs to Physical Controls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional physical controllers are designed for an average user, failing to accommodate users with varying hand sizes and preferences or those with disabilities, as they lack customizable features to facilitate effective user input.
Innovation Solution
An accessory apparatus with a housing, auxiliary accessory interfaces, and an internal microcontroller that connects to a physical controller, allowing separate auxiliary user input devices to be mapped to physical controls, enabling users to provide input signals equivalent to the physical controls through alternative means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional physical controllers are designed with fixed controls for average users, then the device complexity remains simple, but the adaptability to different users and disabilities is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory apparatus is designed to work with multiple types of physical controllers (game controllers, media players, etc.) through a universal connector interface. The microcontroller can map auxiliary input devices to various physical controls across different controller types, making the system adaptable to multiple applications and user needs without requiring separate devices for each controller type.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory apparatus acts as an intermediary device between auxiliary input devices and physical controllers. It receives signals from auxiliary devices (such as sip-and-puff devices, eye-tracking devices, or other alternative input devices), processes and maps them to corresponding physical control signals, and transmits them to the physical controller, thereby enabling users with disabilities to control devices they otherwise could not operate.
2Ease of operation
If auxiliary input devices are added to accommodate users with disabilities, then the ease of operation improves for these users, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microcontroller automatically detects the type of physical controller connected and the auxiliary input devices attached, then autonomously configures the mapping between them. This self-configuration capability eliminates the need for manual setup by users or complex configuration interfaces, allowing the system to adapt to different user needs automatically while maintaining relatively simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mapping is dynamic and can be adjusted based on the specific combination of physical controller and auxiliary input device being used. The system can reconfigure mappings in real-time depending on what devices are connected, providing flexible adaptation to different user requirements without requiring a fixed, complex design for every possible scenario.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An accessory apparatus includes a housing, an apparatus connector, a plurality of auxiliary accessory interfaces, and an internal microcontroller. The connection connector is configured to mate with a corresponding accessory connector of a physical controller to electrically connect the internal microcontroller to the physical controller. Each auxiliary accessory connector is configured to enable a separate auxiliary user input device to operatively connect to the accessory apparatus and electrically connect with the internal microcontroller. The internal microcontroller is configured to: (1) receive an input control signal from an auxiliary user input device operatively connected to an auxiliary accessory connector of the plurality of auxiliary accessory connectors, (2) map the input control signal to a mapped control signal corresponding to a physical control of the physical controller, and (3) send the mapped control signal to the physical controller via the apparatus connector.