Control Stick Movement Mapping for Dead Zone Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
User input devices with control sticks face issues due to mismatches between the dead zone and return-to-center regions, leading to sensitivity problems and incorrect game responses, as the dead zone size and shape vary among games and devices, causing errors in input recognition.
Innovation Solution
A method and user input device that transform the output of a control stick by using a scaling function with a dead zone inflection point to map the first normalized unit-area movement space to a second normalized unit-area movement space, and then back, to align the dead zone and return-to-center regions, ensuring accurate input recognition and improved user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dead zone is implemented in the control stick movement space, then the system can ignore positional noise and improve stability, but the mismatch between dead zone and return-to-center regions causes sensitivity problems and incorrect input recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the control stick movement space by applying a scaling function that adjusts the dead zone boundaries dynamically. The scaling function modifies the movement space parameters based on the return-to-center region characteristics, ensuring that the dead zone aligns properly with the mechanical center. This parameter transformation resolves the mismatch between dead zone and return-to-center regions, eliminating sensitivity problems while maintaining input recognition accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the dead zone size and shape are varied among games and devices, then different applications can be optimized, but this variability causes errors in input recognition across different contexts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal transformation framework that works across different games and devices. The scaling function is designed to normalize the control stick movement space regardless of the specific dead zone configuration. By establishing a consistent transformation methodology that adapts to various dead zone sizes and shapes while maintaining alignment with the return-to-center region, the system achieves both versatility for different applications and precision in input recognition.
3Reliability
If a central dead zone is used to ignore control stick position, then mechanical imperfections are masked, but the misalignment with return-to-center region creates sensitivity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the scaling function continuously references the return-to-center region to determine proper dead zone boundaries. The transformation process uses the return-to-center characteristics as a feedback signal to adjust and align the dead zone positioning. This ensures that the dead zone remains properly aligned with the mechanical center while effectively filtering out positional noise, resolving the misalignment issue.
Data Source
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AI summary
Examples are disclosed that relate to computing devices and methods for transforming output of a control stick. In one example, a method comprises: receiving a dead zone inflection point defining a boundary of a dead zone region and a playspace region within a first normalized unit-area movement space of the control stick, mapping the first normalized unit-area movement space to a second normalized unit-area movement space, using a scaling function comprising the dead zone inflection point, scaling each axis of the second normalized unit-area movement space to generate a scaled second normalized unit-area movement space, transforming the scaled second normalized unit-area movement space to a scaled first normalized unit-area movement space, receiving position data representing a current position of the control stick, and transforming the current position to a transformed position in the scaled first normalized unit-area movement space.